Career Center

The Neurology/Neurosurgery Section of the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, invites applications to join our program as an Assistant Professor/Associate Professor/Full Professor (Teaching or Tenure Track) of Veterinary Neurology / Neurosurgery.   Details about position, MU and Columbia are posted online at https://hr.missouri.edu/job-openings , Job # 44111.

Job Description

The successful candidate will work with three current faculty members to enhance referral caseload and to train students and house officers in neurosurgery and neurology.  Other teaching responsibilities will include classroom lectures and laboratories. The Comparative Neurology Program offers the opportunity for collaborative or independent basic, translational, and clinical research.  This is a full-time, benefit eligible, 12 month/year appointment. Teaching or tenure track options are available depending on the qualifications and interests of the candidate.  Distribution of effort between teaching, research, and service will depend upon whether a tenure track or teaching track option is chosen.  Duties will also include:

• Provide clinical instruction of students (professional), interns, and residents in veterinary neurology and neurosurgery utilizing the caseload of the VHC.
• Contribute to the professional and graduate curriculum by participating in classroom and laboratory instruction. Opportunities for online instruction are possible.
• Represent the University, College, and VHC through outreach activities for animal?owning public, referring veterinarians, or other relevant stakeholders.
• Provide consultation to off-site, university-operated clinics.
• Participate with other faculty and house officers in after?hours call.
• Participate in the discovery process by participating in collaborative research and graduate/house officer research.
• Participate in faculty governance activities.

Distribution of effort will be based on the successful candidate’s qualifications, career goals, and the needs of the neurology & neurosurgery section.

Qualifications

Candidates will be assessed based upon educational and professional achievement, career goals and the needs of the college.  Communication skills, experience working effectively in diverse environments and letters of reference will also be considered in selection of a successful candidate.  We are seeking a candidate with interest in practicing leading-edge medicine/surgery, who has a passion for teaching, and who may have potential to participate in multidisciplinary research and establish a sustainable research program.

Minimum Qualifications

• A Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine (DVM) or equivalent degree (such as VMD, BVSc)
• Diplomate status or eligibility for certification by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Neurology/Neurosurgery) or completion of an approved neurology/neurosurgery residency training by start date.

Candidates will be evaluated on:

• Eligibility for licensure to practice veterinary medicine in Missouri
• Professional, residency and graduate training  

Applications must be submitted online: https://hr.missouri.edu/job-openings , job # 44111 

Interested candidates should be prepared to attach:

1. a letter stating professional interests and career goals;
2. professional academic transcript(s);
3. contact information (including email addresses) for three references; and,
4. a curriculum vitae.

If you have questions about the online application process, please consult Human Resources web sites: email umpshrsupport@umsystem.edu or call (573)882-7976. 

Review of applications will continue until suitable candidate is identified. 

Search Criteria

Candidates will be assessed based upon educational and professional achievement. Clinical experience, communication skills, experience working effectively in diverse environments, and letters of reference will all be considered in selection of a candidate. The potential for the candidate to work within the framework of the anesthesia section will also be assessed, as will specialty and/or research training and teaching experience.  

Direct inquiries about the position or the Neurology Service to Dr. Joan R. Coates, 900 East Campus Drive, Columbia MO 65211; phone (573)882-7821; email to: CoatesJ@missouri.edu .

Review of applications will continue until suitable candidate is identified. 

Salary and Benefits:

Salary will be commensurate with education, training, and experience.  

These positions are eligible for University benefits.  The University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, and educational fee discounts.  For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at http://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits. 

Our Campus and Our Community

MU’s Veterinary Health Center (VHC) is a state-of-the-art teaching and medical services facility for companion animals as well as livestock.  Columbia, MO, is an ideal location for such a teaching hospital. The population of central Missouri and reasonable proximity to St. Louis and Kansas City provide for a robust small animal emergency and referral caseload. 

MU is a nationally competitive, global institution and Missouri’s largest public research university.  Many states fund separate research and land-grant universities, but Missouri combines those roles at its flagship institution with both land-grant and statewide missions in service to the citizens of the State. MU, also referred to as “Mizzou”, is one of only five universities nationwide that offers law, medicine, veterinary medicine, and a nuclear research reactor on one campus.

MU is a national leader in comparative medicine, in which researchers collaborate by sharing discoveries, innovations and treatments for humans and animals.  For more about the College of Veterinary Medicine and our impact on Missouri, the nation, and the world, go to:

• University of Missouri/College of Veterinary Medicine- http://cvm.missouri.edu/
• Veterinary Health Center- http://www.vmth.missouri.edu/
• Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery- http://www.vms.missouri.edu/faculty.html
• Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab- http://vmdl.missouri.edu/

• MU Neurology & Neurosurgery (NNS) Service.  The NNS Service has positions for 4 board-certified veterinary neurologists and has three to four NNS residents in training.  The service also has one dedicated Registered Veterinary Technician and one Veterinary Assistant who facilitate the daily operations of the service by ensuring quality patient care, coordination of service responsibilities and efficient client communication.  Together, the clinicians, students, and technician of the NNS Service, as part of the MU VHC team are dedicated to providing exceptional care. The NNS Service is one of the most productive services in our teaching hospital with over 2000 cases per year.   

• The University of Missouri, Veterinary Health Center offers state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. The VHC is the premier veterinary referral center in the state of Missouri. The VHC has 51,211 square feet dedicated to the small animal hospital, including separate areas for oncology, cardiology, ophthalmology, dermatology, dentistry, physical rehabilitation, nutrition, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, soft tissue surgery, internal medicine, community practice, theriogenology, anesthesiology, radiology 24-h emergency and intensive care unit, full service clinical pathology laboratory, in-house pharmacy, radiation therapy and imaging. The MU VHC offers the latest in neurodiagnostic tests that include advanced imaging, electrodiagnostic testing, clinicopathologic testing, DNA testing, radiation therapy, and stereotaxy equipment. Electrodiagnostic testing (Cadwell Sierra Summit) includes digital EEG, EMG, nerve conduction testing, and signal averaging. Imaging modalities available in house include computed tomography (CT) (Acquillion One Scanner: 640 slices/rotation), 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance scanner (Canon), fluoroscopy (OEC 990 Elite, GE) and CT/Positron Emission Tomography scanner (Celesteion PET/CT scanner, Canon). The VHC Small Animal Hospital also has a newly established Motion Analysis Laboratory for kinetic and kinematic evaluation of gait. The Physical Rehabilitation Service has 2 veterinary nurses and 2 faculty members certified in sports medicine. The VHC additionally provides a supportive environment for clinical trial research and has experience in performing veterinary clinical trials.

• Comparative Neurology Program Laboratory.  The Comparative Neurology Program in the College of Veterinary Medicine encompasses the “One Health, One Medicine” initiative as one of the strategic initiatives at the University of Missouri.  Research in the Comparative Neurology Program (CNP) is devoted to understanding the causes of developmental and degenerative diseases of the nervous system in domestic animals and translating that knowledge into the therapies of tomorrow for the benefit of both human and animal patients.  At each level, training of current and future veterinarians and researchers applies these principles.  The underlying philosophy of the CNP is that there is only one medicine, and the principles and discoveries can be widely applied for the benefit of all species.  An animal disease can form a key role in the translation of basic science knowledge to clinical applications.  The goals of the CNP are to identify developmental and degenerative diseases of the nervous system in animals (particularly dogs and cats), understand the molecular pathogenesis of these diseases and corresponding diseases in humans, while translating that understanding into improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.  The CNP has active collaborations with other departments in the CVM and the School of Medicine in the areas of molecular genetics, neurodegenerative diseases, neuro-ophthalmology, neuropathology, epilepsy, and gene therapy.  The CNP also has designated research space as the Comparative Neurology Laboratory.

• Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program (INP). The INP offers talented graduate students a chance to train for a career in one of the most exciting fields of modern science. Most of our students pursue research and teaching careers in basic neuroscience departments at prestigious research universities. Others opt for challenging and rewarding positions in applied fields, such as drug research or neurodiagnostic technology.

• Washington University, Institute of Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS). The University of Missouri is a partner with the Washington University ICTS (http://icts.wustl.edu/), funded through a multimillion dollar grant from the NIH Clinical Translational Science program. Washington University ICTS offers competitive funding opportunities to researchers at the University of Missouri and other Washington University ICTS partner institutions. Various funding opportunities are available, including 1-year grants for pilot projects and 2-year KL2 career development grants, modeled after the NIH career development program. Researchers from partner institutions are also eligible to apply for other competitive funding programs administered through the Washington University ICTS. Members of ICTS also have access to resources located at Washington University, including an array of core facilities and the availability of experts on study design, data interpretation, and the translation of basic research to clinical application.

• University of Missouri Core and Research Support Facilities. The University Office of Research operates numerous state-of-the-art Core Facilities http://research.missouri.edu/about/cores.  In addition, we will employ the services of the Office of Animal Resources for oversite of the clinical trial research on companion animals at the University of Missouri.

• Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Building opened in Fall 2021 and is located within walking distance of the University of Missouri – Columbia (MU) campus, MU Health Care clinical facilities, and the Harry S. Truman VA hospital. The building is five stories tall with 265,000-square-feet and was designed as a research hub for team science and innovation. The facility can accommodate a broad variety of teams specializing in cellular, molecular, and structural biology, genetics, biochemistry, engineering, data science, veterinary medicine, pharmacology and more.
• The University of Missouri at Columbia is one of only five universities nationwide that offers law, medicine, veterinary medicine, and a nuclear research reactor on one campus. Mizzou is one of a small number of universities across the country that houses a School of Medicine, a College of Veterinary Medicine, a School of Engineering and other schools involving the health professions on the same campus. This proximity allows for easy access to experts in areas of human and animal biomedical research and fosters cross-disciplinary interactions and collaborations. MU is a nationally competitive, global university. Many states fund separate research and land-grant universities, but Missouri combines those roles at its flagship institution. MU is both a land-grant university with a statewide mission of service to citizens and Missouri’s largest public research university.

Values Commitment: We value the uniqueness of every individual and strive to ensure each person’s success. Contributions from individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives promote intellectual pluralism and enable us to achieve the excellence that we seek in learning, research, and engagement.  This commitment makes our university a better place to work, learn and innovate.

In your application materials, please discuss your experiences and expertise that support these values and enrich our missions of teaching, research, and engagement.

Equal Employment Opportunity:  The University of Missouri is an equal access, equal opportunity, affirmative action employer that is fully committed to achieving a diverse faculty and staff. Equal Opportunity is and shall be provided for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without unlawful discrimination on the basis of their race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information, call the Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resource Services/Affirmative Action officer at 573-882-4256.  

To request ADA accommodation, please call the Disability Inclusion and ADA Compliance Manager at 573-884-7278. 

EEO IS THE LAW: To read more about Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) please use the following links: 

• EEO is the Law English Version
• EEO is the Law Spanish Version

Studies consistently rank Columbia as a top city in which to live for educational facilities, health care, technological savvy, economic growth, and cultural opportunities.  The cost of living is still affordable, whether you prefer an apartment in the city, a farm on a country road or a family home near a top-notch school.  With a population of ~120,000, Columbia is located in the heart of Missouri on Interstate 70.  American Airlines connects Columbia Regional Airport with Dallas, Chicago, and Denver.  There is also easy access to international airports via St. Louis and Kansas City. 

The following links provide insights into Columbia and Central Missouri as a special place to live: 

Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau - http://www.visitcolumbiamo.com/ 

Columbia-Downtown Association - http://www.discoverthedistrict.com/ 

Newspapers –http://www.columbiatribune.com/ and http://www.columbiamissourian.com/ 

Columbia Public Schools - https://www.cpsk12.org/

Columbia Catholic School – http://www.ccsk8.org/ 

Columbia Independent School – http://cislions.org/ 

Daniel Boone Regional Library - http://www.dbrl.org/ 

Trail Directory- http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/ParksandRec/Trails/ 

Columbia Parks and Recreation -  http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/ParksandRec/ 

Columbia Activity and Recreation Center - http: //www.gocolumbiamo.com/ParksandRec/ARC/ 

Katy Trial - http://www.bikekatytrail.com/columbia.asp 

MO Dept of Conservation - 22 area sites - http://mdc.mo.gov/ 

Daniel Boone Regional Library - http://www.dbrl.org/ 

Columbia’s Farmer’s Market – http://www.columbiafarmersmarket.org/ 

Film Festival – http://ragtagfilm.com/ 

Jazz – http://www.wealwaysswing.org/index.php 

Blues Festival - https://www.treelinemusicfest.com/ 

True/False Film Festival - https://truefalse.org/

University Concert Series – http://www.concertseries.org/ 

Golf Courses – http://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/city.aspx?dest=Columbia+MO 

Sports - MU Tigers https://mutigers.com/, as well as Cardinals, KC Chiefs, Royals, Blues, & St. Louis City SC in 2023!  

About University of Missouri

MU’s Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital is a state-of-the-art teaching and medical services facility for companion animals as well as livestock. Columbia, MO is an ideal location for such a teaching hospital. The population of central Missouri and reasonable proximity to St. Louis and Kansas City provide for a robust small animal emergency and referral caseload. MU is a nationally competitive, global university. Many states fund separate research and land-grant universities, but Missouri combines those roles at its flagship institution. MU is both a land-grant university with a statewide mission of service to citizens and Missouri’s largest public research university. Mizzou is one of only five universities nationwide that offers law, medicine, veterinary medicine and a nuclear research reactor on one campus. MU is a national leader in comparative medicine, in which researchers collaborate by sharing discoveries, innovations and treatments for humans and animals.

Connections working at University of Missouri