The University of Maryland seeks a visionary, collaborative, and internationally recognized scientific leader to serve as the next Director of the Brain and Behavior Institute (BBI), one of the University's most ambitious interdisciplinary research enterprises. The next Director will have a unique opportunity to elevate an already distinguished neuroscience community while helping define the future of brain and behavior research at one of the country's leading public universities.
Established in 2021, BBI was created to unite and expand the University's strengths in neuroscience through innovative, multidisciplinary approaches to understanding the brain and behavior in health and disease. Today, BBI serves as a centralized community of neuroscientists, engineers, computer scientists, mathematicians, physical scientists, cognitive scientists, social scientists, and humanities scholars whose work spans multiple levels of analysis, from genes and neural circuits to cognition, behavior, artificial intelligence, and complex systems. The institute has built a strong foundation for collaboration, supporting more than 200 faculty members and interdisciplinary research teams across numerous schools and colleges while generating substantial returns on strategic investments through federal and private funding support.
The next Director will inherit an institute with tremendous momentum and equally significant opportunity. The University of Maryland seeks a leader who can articulate a clear and compelling strategic vision for BBI; strengthen its identity within an increasingly competitive neuroscience landscape; and build deeper connections among faculty, researchers, students, and external partners. The Director will help transform a broad and diverse network of scholars into an even more integrated scientific community, fostering meaningful collaboration across disciplines and creating new pathways for discovery, innovation, and translational impact.
Reporting to Dr. Susan Rivera, Dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, and working closely with faculty, researchers, students, and external partners, the Director will advance the institute's mission through three intentionally interconnected pillars: (i) Auditory, Language & Communication Neuroscience; (ii) Neuroscience of Perception, Cognition & Behavior Across Lifespan and Disease; and (iii) Neurotechnology, Computation & Engineering (neuroscience-AI-engineering bridge). The next director will lead efforts to identify emerging areas of scientific opportunity, develop large-scale collaborative research initiatives, secure major external funding, and enhance the institute's national and international visibility.
The successful candidate will possess a doctoral or terminal degree in neuroscience, psychology, engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, biomedical science, cognitive science, data science, or a related field; qualifications for appointment as a tenured Professor at the University of Maryland; and an internationally recognized record of research excellence in theoretical or computational neuroscience, or a closely related quantitative neuroscience field.
WittKieffer is assisting the University of Maryland in this search. All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited.
Applications should include, as two separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in this profile. Professional references are not requested at this time.
The leadership profile can be viewed here. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by January 19, 2027.
Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer's candidate portal.
Nominations and inquiries can be directed to:
Jen Meyers Pickard, Ph.D., Randi Miller, and Jessica Herrington
The anticipated compensation range for this position is between $285,000 and $335,000 annually.
Benefits Information: Benefits Overview for Regular Exempt Employees
Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity
The University of Maryland, College Park, an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, creed, marital status, political affiliation, personal appearance, or on the basis of rights secured by the First Amendment, in all aspects of employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.
