Associate Section Chief for Clinical and Translational Innovation, Gerontology

The Section of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine is seeking an Associate Section Chief for Clinical and Translational Innovation, Gerontology (MD or equivalent) who will be responsible for developing strategies to advance the research, education, and clinical missions of the section and will be leading a multidisciplinary team of faculty who are working to ensure evidence-based innovations are effectively implemented into clinical settings. With an increasingly diverse patient population, we are seeking to accelerate the transition from scientific discovery to practical applications and care models in real-world healthcare settings.

We are searching for a faculty leader with the following qualifications to make a difference in the health and wellness of older adults:

• Physician with specialty training/certification in Geriatric Medicine with an active research portfolio in areas that address gerontology and geriatric medicine and a history of extramural funding commensurate with rank.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in leading an area of science such as clinical trials conduct, care model implementation, or basic science translation into human studies.
• Ability to build purposeful programs to recruit and develop clinical faculty, clinician-scientists, and basic science researchers, with a demonstrated commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment while upholding high ethical standards.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering an academic and clinical culture that advances health equity and promotes a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment for all.

The Associate Section Chief has an opportunity to improve health, elevate hope, and advance healing by undertaking the following responsibilities:

Research Leadership:

• Conduct groundbreaking research in gerontology and geriatric medicine, focusing on understanding the factors that influence healthy aging.
• Promote a culture of discovery and innovation, while building and facilitating research, submitting applications for grant support, and publishing in high-impact, peer-review journals.
• Encourage clinical, translational, and basic science research, while providing guidance, adequate resources, support, and mentorship to faculty members and trainees.
• Examine social determinants of health, disparities in access to care, and the impact of various factors on health outcomes in marginalized and disadvantaged communities.
• Seek to increase representation of underrepresented groups in research and clinical trials.

Collaborative Research, Mentorship, and Education: 

• Contribute to an atmosphere where team-science is valued and augmented by skills and resources across a large and diverse research enterprise.
• Collaborate with a diverse team of physician-researchers, combining our collective expertise to design and implement clinical trial protocols to improve the lives of older adults.
• Liaising with internal and external medical communities and disseminating new information to teammates to integrate emerging data and clinical trends into new care models.
• Partner with leaders in multiple therapeutic areas to identify opportunities for research translation and to engage and cultivate relationships with leaders in industry and develop research collaborations.
• Mentor and guide graduate students, fellows, and other team members, contributing to their growth as future leaders in gerontology and geriatric research.
• Serve as an effective spokesperson for presenting emerging research in aging, geriatrics, and Alzheimer’s disease at Wake Forest to regional and national scientific and clinical audiences.

Skills and Competencies Required:

• Patient-centered, health system aware, values-driven approach.
• Proven ability to engage, influence and build effective relationships with research and clinical colleagues.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong project management skills and experience in prioritizing efforts.
• General understanding of clinical, research, regulatory, and commercial issues impacting clinical translation.
• Strong presentation and influencing/negotiation skills.

The J. Paul Sticht Center on Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention is the umbrella under which a comprehensive array of clinical and research programs reside. In addition to the Section of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine of the Department of Internal Medicine, it also includes the National Institute on Aging (NIA)-funded Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center, the NIA-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center,  the Geriatric Research Center and the Roena Kulynych Center for Memory and Cognition Research, a Coordinating Center for including cognitive function and dementia outcome assessment in large clinical trials. Wake Forest University School of Medicine has also led the National Coordinating Center for the NIA- funded Older Americans Independence Centers (OAIC) Program since its inception in 2005. Together, we are forward-thinking clinicians, researchers, creators, innovators, and support staff. We truly value interdisciplinary collaboration, which is evidenced by our team’s involvement in and leadership of nationally-recognized centers, including the Center for Healthcare Innovation. 

We are ranked among the top 15 national centers in aging research funding from the National Institutes of Health. With one of the largest faculties in geriatrics and gerontology, we lead nationally prominent aging research trials and NIH research centers, focusing on improving the health of older adults. Since 1990, Wake Forest University School of Medicine has held the distinguished status as a National Institutes of Health-funded Claude Pepper Older Americans Independence Center, marking the longest tenure of its kind in the United States.

As a top aging center and research institution, we’re committed to fostering an inclusive culture that values diversity, collaboration, and lifelong learning, making it a great place to work and live. This combination empowers faculty and staff to be on the vanguard of science with the entrepreneurial spirit that is necessary for impactful discovery.

Wake Forest University School of Medicine (WFUSM) serves as the academic core of Advocate Health, one of the top 50 research institutions in the United States. Advocate Health (AH) is a large, integrated healthcare delivery system that annually serves nearly 6 million patients, making it the fifth largest nonprofit health system in the nation. Advocate Health spans the Southeastern and Midwestern regions of the United States, encompassing over 1,000 care sites and 67 hospitals across 6 states, and employing almost 150,000 team members. Additionally, it offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs, hosting more than 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health dedicates nearly $5 billion annually to community benefits.

The expertise, size, and scope of our highly integrated enterprise, research excellence, a robust informatics data infrastructure, clinically integrated health services research efforts, and a firm commitment to the promotion of health equity, renders the WFUSM a rich environment for breakthroughs in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease and improvements in quality of life.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email Kassie Walters at kaswalte@wakehealth.edu.