Baylor College of Medicine and Department Summary:

CSM was established in 2008 to be a world academic leader in space biomedical research and education and to translate advances in knowledge and technology to benefit life on Earth. TRISH is a virtual institute awarded through a NASA cooperative agreement and is a consortium with Caltech and MIT.

TRISH operates through CSM and is charged by NASA’s Human Research Program with finding and providing federal grant funding to develop innovative approaches to reduce risks to humans from commercial flights in low Earth Orbit to deep space missions. Together the consortium engages a wide network of academic institutions, companies, government labs, commercial space providers, and others to lead a national effort in translating cutting edge emerging terrestrial research into applied space flight human risk mitigation strategies for exploration missions. Further information is available at www.bcm.edu/spacehealth.

Baylor (www.bcm.edu) is recognized as one of the nation’s premier academic health science centers and is known for excellence in education, research, and healthcare and community service. Located in the heart of the world's largest medical center (Texas Medical Center), Baylor is affiliated with multiple educational, healthcare and research affiliates (Baylor Affiliates).

Summary

The Center for Space Medicine (CSM) is seeking an accomplished and experienced scientist and leader to serve as the Chief Scientist of the NASA-supported Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH). This role is a senior leadership appointment within CSM and will advance the Center’s mission as a world leader in space biomedical research, education, and translation. The individual will hold a faculty appointment at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in the Center for Space Medicine, as well as in a department appropriate to the individual's area of expertise. Faculty appointment may be Associate Professor or Professor, depending on the candidate's experience, with an initial appointment as Senior Faculty. The individual will report to the center director of CSM, as well as to the director of TRISH.

TRISH is a cooperative agreement between NASA and BCM, with major subcontractors California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Institute drives the new space economy to accelerate human exploration and health discoveries. Partnered with NASA’s Human Research Program and serving as a critical link between the space and health industries, TRISH focuses on operational needs, mission-critical tools, and the next generation of leaders.

As Chief Scientist, the Senior Faculty member provides scientific leadership on behalf of the Center for Space Medicine and is responsible for executing existing scientific initiatives within the Institute’s innovative space biomedical research program, communicating the implications and translational impacts of TRISH’s deliverables to NASA, and connecting to other stakeholders for the applications of the products. This role will be responsible for driving the completion of core scientific programs (Hermes, EXPAND, and SENTINEL) and prioritizing scientific excellence and integrity across the portfolio.

The ideal candidate will have operational experience with addressing human health and performance challenges in limited resources environments such as space, military or extreme environments such as expeditionary treks, and global settings.

This individual will make substantial contributions to the TRISH Science Office. The Senior Faculty will quickly familiarize themselves with the Institute’s research portfolio to lead and manage funded project teams and resolve challenges or barriers to success. The Candidate will also demonstrate strong communication and presentation skills to engage the Institute’s key audiences including NASA, the scientific community, media, and the public.

The candidate will join a leadership team and be responsible for guiding translational research and testing of products in operational environments such as space and space analogs. S/he will track key metrics of success across the portfolio.

Job Duties

• Lead and coordinate the activities of the TRISH Science Office within the strategic and academic framework of the Center for Space Medicine.
• Uphold high standards for scientific excellence and spaceflight operational relevance of the TRISH portfolio consistent with CSM’s mission and academic leadership in space medicine.
• Serve as a scientific representative of both CSM and TRISH, including communicating the technical details and operational/knowledge-based deliverables of the TRISH portfolio to NASA and other stakeholders.
• Maintain relationships with representatives from NASA, funded researchers, academia, industry, or government partners, and other individuals on behalf of the Institute.
• Oversee the review of research proposals for scientific and operational relevance.
• Communicate TRISH-related deliverables to lay and scientific audiences at virtual, local, and national conferences; work with TRISH Communications to engage with the media.
• Oversee the contributions of TRISH’s lead scientists at the consortium institutions at Caltech and MIT.
• Work closely with the TRISH Finance team to budget alignment while ensuring compliance with federal procurement requirements.
• Foster collaborations with federal agencies, commercial space industry partners and potential investigators.
• Draft manuscripts for literature reviews, original work, technical reports, and perspective pieces.
• Oversee the TRISH Information Management System (TIMS) database for updates to scientific studies and funded investigators.
• Contribute to the growth, national visibility, and scientific reputation of the BCM Center for Space Medicine through leadership, collaboration, and scholarly output.
• Mentor medical student on research projects, participate in preparation of grant applications for external funding, and participate in service activities at the College.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education Required: Doctorate degree in STEM field or medicine is required.
• Experience Required:

• Demonstrated success leading a team of scientists to complete projects and deliver outcomes.
• Demonstrated success in having secured competitive federal funding as a principal investigator: writing successful proposals, executing and completing a research project, and leading a team.

• Certification/Licenses/Registration: None Required

Preferred Qualifications

• At least two years’ experience with carrying out translational research using human subjects in a limited-resources environment or other field setting (outside the laboratory).
• The ideal candidate has a good understanding of human physiology or anatomy. Familiarity with spaceflight challenges is a bonus.