Assistant Professor: Neuroimmunology

Salk Institute seeks an Assistant Professor in neuroimmunology to study nervous and immune system interactions linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies invites candidates to apply for an Assistant Professor position in Neuroimmunology. Our search seeks candidates poised to drive significant advances in the area of neuroimmunology broadly, particularly those whose work elucidates fundamental biological mechanisms underlying interactions between the nervous and immune systems. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: how peripheral immune status is perceived in the CNS and impacts neural circuit function; how immune signaling in the CNS impacts resident cell types and neural circuit function; how the nervous system regulates the immune system, including through innervation of peripheral tissues.

The new faculty member will join Salk’s pioneering NOMIS Neuroimmunology Initiative (NI). This collaborative group unites the strengths of Salk faculty in neuroscience and immunology to explore the crosstalk between the immune and nervous systems, elucidating how inflammation impacts the brain and how neural signals shape immunity. Exploring the neuroimmune interface will pave the way for new therapeutic approaches for conditions with both neurological and immune components, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, aging, multiple sclerosis, chronic stress, depression, chronic pain, infection and certain types of cancer.

Why Join Us?

World-Class Research Environment: The Salk Institute is a small highly interactive institution with a unique architecture that is internationally acclaimed for breakthroughs in neuroscience, immunology, virology, cancer, plant biology, and molecular and cell biology, and fosters a culture of bold exploration and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Competitive Compensation Package: The new faculty member will receive a generous start-up package to support their research endeavors, along with a highly competitive salary and comprehensive benefits.

Salk Values: The Salk Community, both scientists and administrators, worked together to define values that we believe support Salk’s pursuit of excellence. To be truly the best scientific institution requires not only incredible discoveries, but a common understanding of how we should work together to enable those discoveries.

The acronym “I CARE” provides a simple way to remember each of the values and reminds each of us of the importance of what we do each day.

Candidates must have a Ph.D. and/or M.D. degree

Application Requirements:

Candidates with a Ph.D. and/or M.D. degree are invited to submit an online application through Interfolio with the following materials:

• Curriculum vitae
• A 3–4-page research proposal outlining current and future research goals
• Three letters of recommendation to be sent directly by the referees through Interfolio dossier services through the online application.

Applications with all required materials will be accepted until positions are filled but applications will begin being reviewed on October 15, 2026. Questions should be directed to facultysearch@salk.edu.

The expected pay range for this position is $135,000 to $150,000. The Salk Institute provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the institute reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, and external market pay for comparable jobs.