Rutgers University

Title: Director of the Center for Autism Research at Rutgers Brain Health Institute

Location: Piscataway, NJ

Specialties: Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Neurology, Medical Genetics, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology

Summary

The Director will lead Rutgers Center for Autism Research, Education and Services (RUCARES), focusing on coordinating and nurturing research activities in autism spectrum disorders and growing Rutgers into a world leader in basic and clinical autism research. The role requires strong leadership skills and an independent research program in autism, with applicants encouraged from both basic science and clinical research backgrounds.

Added on: 08/04/2025

Full Job Description

Posting Summary

The Rutgers Brain Health Institute ( BHI ) is recruiting an outstanding tenure-eligible investigator to serve as the Director of Rutgers Center for Autism Research, Education and Services ( RUCARES ). RUCARES is devoted to innovative research, education, and service with a focus on diagnosing, treating, and supporting children and adults with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ). The center was established in 2020 under the leadership of the inaugural Director, Dr. Wayne Fisher, to foster the growth of autism research, education and services at Rutgers. Over the last six years, led by RUCARES , NIH funding for autism related research at Rutgers has grown more than 7-fold. RUCARES has also partnered with Children Specialized Hospital ( CSH ), to improve the health outcomes for all New Jersey individuals and families affected by autism. RUCARES , and its clinical arm CSH - RUCARES , are the first centers of their kind in New Jersey. In addition to the severe behavior program which offers highly effective clinical services to treat autistic children with severe behavior problems, CSH - RUCARES was recently awarded the New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence ( NJACE ) grant to support both clinical and basic research on autism. The ideal candidate for the Director of RUCARES will be a research leader in autism spectrum disorders with a strong, externally-funded research program who utilizes basic or clinical approaches to address key questions regarding autism and related disorders. One of the primary roles of the Director of RUCARES will be to coordinate and nurture existing research and clinical activities, while striving to grow Rutgers into a world leader in basic and clinical autism research. Applicants must have a PhD, MD or equivalent degree, with an independent research program focused on autism spectrum disorders. The applicant also must demonstrate strong leadership skills. Investigators in basic science or clinical research are encouraged to apply. We offer a highly competitive salary and excellent start-up packages to establish the Director’s own research program and to grow the center. Rutgers has considerable strengths in basic, clinical and translational autism research, with over 50 principal investigators working to develop new autism treatments. The department of pediatrics in New Brunswick and Newark have a full complement of pediatric medical subspecialists who actively collaborate with pediatric surgical specialists in clinical care and academic endeavors. Rutgers faculty and students also work closely with the autism community in NJ, providing educational intervention services, developing policy and performing public outreach through the Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities and the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center. The Rutgers Brain Health Institute ( BHI ) is an internationally recognized institute for basic, translational, and clinical research into the biological bases of human brain function and dysfunction. BHI supports over 300 neuroscience faculty labs engaged in basic and clinical research at Rutgers. BHI has created multiple centers of excellence in autism, Alzheimer’s, addiction, human brain imaging and computational cognitive neuropsychiatry with outstanding core facilities, including a new research-dedicated 3T Prisma MRI scanner and a human behavioral testing core developed and operated in collaboration with Princeton University. Rutgers offers tremendous collaborative opportunities with over 300 neuroscience faculty labs engaged in basic, clinical and translational research, and proximity to the New York, Princeton and Philadelphia neuroscience communities. Applicants should submit a CV and statement of research accomplishments and plans and names of at least three references to Dr Jennifer Mulle, Chair of search committee, at [email protected] .

Overview

The ideal candidate for the Director of RUCARES will be a research leader in autism spectrum disorders with a strong, externally-funded research program who utilizes basic or clinical approaches to address key questions regarding autism and related disorders. One of the primary roles of the Director of RUCARES will be to coordinate and nurture existing research activities, while striving to grow Rutgers into a world leader in basic and clinical autism research. Applicants must have a PhD, MD or equivalent degree, with an independent research program focused on autism spectrum disorders. The applicant also must demonstrate strong leadership skills. Investigators in basic science or clinical research are encouraged to apply. We offer a highly competitive salary and excellent start-up packages to establish the Director’s own research program and to grow the center.