Translational Depression Scientist

Position Overview Salary Range: The salary range for this position in the School of Medicine is $118,378 – $362,986. The posted UC salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See the Professorial Series (Adjunct, Clinical X, HS Clinical, In Residence, Ladder Rank) and Professor of Teaching Series – Health Sciences Compensation Plan. This position includes membership in the health sciences compensation plan, which provides for eligibility for additional compensation. Application Window Open date: April 29, 2026 Most recent review date: Wednesday, Jul 1, 2026 at 11:59 pm (Pacific Time). Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled. Final date: Wednesday, Apr 28, 2027 at 11:59 pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled. Position Description The University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, and the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior are offering two faculty positions within the Noel Drury, M.D. Institute for Translational Depression Discoveries. The vision for the Depression Institute is to transform our understanding of depression’s origins, treatment, and prevention while enhancing societal well‑being. Its mission is to create a vibrant, inclusive, and interdisciplinary community of scientists and clinicians devoted to (1) fundamentally improving our understanding, treatment and prevention of depression, (2) training the next generation of depression scientists and clinicians, and (3) improving the lives of individuals with lived experiences. The UCI Depression Institute spans various schools—including the School of Medicine, the Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences, and the Samueli School of Engineering. It is envisioned that such confluence of expertise and methodological approaches will foster a bench‑to‑bedside integration essential for breakthroughs in understanding, treating, and preventing depression. With the current hiring initiative, UCI aspires to identify exceptionally talented candidates who share our vision and will increase our capacity to achieve breakthroughs in depression‑focused research. The positions complement recent faculty hires for the Department of Neurobiology & Behavior and the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Tenure‑track and tenured faculty are expected to mount a productive and innovative research program, obtain extramural funding, and actively participate in mentoring (e.g., undergraduate or graduate students, medical students, psychiatry residents, and/or postdoctoral trainees). Candidates will be able to leverage the existing resources and strengths of UCI Health and its campus partners, including the Institute for Clinical and Translational Sciences, the Institute for Precision Health, the Center for Neurotherapeutics, the Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, the Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, the Beall Applied Innovation, and the Behavioral Testing Core. We are seeking candidates—at the Assistant (Tenure‑Track), Associate, or Full (Tenured) Professor rank—for the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior whose research will complement existing strengths and research foci. Examples of strategic areas (not exhaustive): - Childhood, Adolescent or Adult Depression—focus on innovative, impactful approaches to human depression across the lifespan, including prospective studies in at‑risk samples. - Preclinical Models Relevant to Depression—focus on systems‑level mechanisms associated with vulnerability to and resilience against depressive phenotypes. - Exceptional records in other areas of depression research, including AI and other big‑data approaches. Applicants are expected to have advanced degrees and publication records commensurate with appointment levels in the department of interest. Successful candidates will develop externally funded research programs, engage in mentoring/teaching, and contribute leadership and innovative thinking toward global prominence in depression research. About the Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior As a top‑ranked department within a leading public research university, the UC Irvine Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior is dedicated to advancing clinical care, education, and research. We provide high‑quality training to UCI medical students, adult psychiatry residents, and child and adolescent psychiatry fellows, while conducting cutting‑edge research across diverse disciplines such as stem cell biology, aging and neurodegeneration, sleep,