Associate/Full Professor: Drug Discovery

University of Texas at San Antonio seeks Associate or Full Professor to lead drug discovery research in medicinal chemistry structural biology and therapeutics

Associate/Full Professor – Drug Discovery and Development Cluster, UTSA and UT Health SA

Location: San Antonio, TX
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Job ID: 14880
Full/Part Time: Full Time

Position Information

Cluster Hire for Associate/Full Professor in Drug Discovery and Development

The University of Texas at San Antonio College of Sciences and UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine Departments of Biochemistry and Structural Biology; Chemistry; Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics; Molecular Microbiology & Immunology; Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology; and Pharmacology, with full support from multiple Centers and Institutes, invite applications for three positions of (Associate and/or Full) Professor to be appointed as University of Texas System (UT System) Research Excellence Regents’ Professors. These new positions are part of a strategic cluster hiring initiative focused on Drug Discovery and Development with an anticipated start date of Fall 2026. Exemplary candidates will also be eligible for named endowments and to apply with for recruitment packages from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), the Dementia Prevention Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT), the Governor’s University Research Initiative (GURI), and the Welch Foundation.

The University of Texas System approved the creation of the Regents’ Research Excellence Program across its four Emerging Research Universities (ERUs), including UT San Antonio. UT System has allocated funds across all four ERUs to fund the recruitment of research-active faculty to dramatically grow its national research prominence and federal funding opportunities. The university’s allocation from UT System translates to approximately 40 new faculty positions for new, mid- to senior-level faculty over the next several years who will add expertise in research areas that will enhance competitiveness, help solve societal needs, and advance the university’s capacity to meet UT System and state goals as outlined by the Texas Legislature.

UT San Antonio is utilizing our Clustered & Connected Hiring Program (CCP), which is designed to recruit and hire some of the best and brightest minds of varying backgrounds and experiences in select fields to UT San Antonio to join in efforts to address some of today’s most significant challenges. For the Drug Discovery and Development Cluster theme, the three positions open are in the areas of:

• Medicinal Chemistry/Chemical Biology
• Structural and Computational Biology
• Biomedical research approaches to identify and develop novel drugs for a range of disease conditions

The University of Texas at San Antonio

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) is a world-class Carnegie R1 institution grounded in excellence in education, transdisciplinary research and discovery, and healthcare. As the third-largest research university in the state of Texas, UT San Antonio is an institution of both access and excellence. It works to create opportunities that advance social mobility, catalyze innovation and commercialization, and create impact at scale to make lives better.

One of the most comprehensive universities in Texas, UT San Antonio is distributed across six campuses, including UT San Antonio Health Science Center, which serves as the region’s only academic health center and leads in transdisciplinary biomedical research, patient care and health professions education. UT San Antonio encompasses more than 17,000 employees, including more than 4,000 faculty, 40,000 students, and offers more than 350 highly competitive degrees and certificates.

UT San Antonio’s unique attributes and future-focused model position it as an exemplar for maximizing both access and excellence to create immense impact for the communities it serves. Notably, the institution invests annual research expenditures of about $486 million and an endowment of approximately $1.3 billion.

The university is emblematic of the notion that great cities need great universities to propel forward. Located in the seventh-largest city in the country, UT San Antonio offers multidisciplinary academic programs, collaborative translational research and expanded healthcare to improve lives throughout communities in South Texas and beyond. Learn more online, on UT San Antonio Today or on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or LinkedIn.

College of Sciences

The College of Sciences (COS) at UT San Antonio advances innovation and excellence in both the classroom and the laboratory, driving discovery that serves society. The college offers 16 undergraduate and 14 graduate degree programs across the life and physical sciences. More than 280 faculty in seven academic departments support these programs, with enrollment exceeding 4,300 undergraduates and 430 graduate and post-baccalaureate students. With approximately $40 million in annual research expenditures and nearly 200 active projects, research strengths span biomedical & health innovation, molecular, chemical & materials discovery, fundamental & applied physical sciences, earth, environmental & planetary systems, mathematical, computational & data sciences, and STEM education & workforce development.

Long School of Medicine

With nearly $300 M in research funding, the Joe R. & Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio is a nationally accredited, research-intensive medical school and the largest trainer of physicians in South Texas, educating more than 960 medical students and 980 residents annually. Its faculty lead internationally recognized research programs in areas such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, diabetes, aging, and kidney disease, translating fundamental discoveries into clinical therapies. Anchored by a robust clinical enterprise and major national designations-including the region’s only NCI-designated Cancer Center and NIH-funded Alzheimer’s, aging and clinical trials centers-the Long School of Medicine plays a central role in advancing healthcare, biomedical research, and workforce development in South Texas and beyond.

Academic Campus Departments

Department of Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry is a comprehensive academic unit offering degree programs from the bachelor’s through the PhD level and supporting more than 400 undergraduates and 60 graduate students. With 32 faculty and over $9M in research expenditures, the department maintains strong, nationally recognized research programs and state-of-the-art facilities that contribute to discovery, education, and workforce development in chemistry and biochemistry.

Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology

The Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology supports undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral training across microbiology, immunology, biotechnology, and microbial genomics. With funding from NIH, NSF, DoD, and other agencies, the department leads major research initiatives and training programs and maintains strong affiliations with UT Health San Antonio, regional research centers, and national infectious disease efforts.

Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology

The Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology conducts internationally recognized research spanning development, stem cells, regenerative medicine, genetics and genomics, neuroscience, cancer, and brain health. The department supports vibrant PhD programs in neuroscience and developmental and regenerative sciences, as well as a strong undergraduate neuroscience program, fostering a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment.

Health Campus Departments

Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology

The Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology (BSB) is a research-intensive unit in the Long School of Medicine on the UT Health campus, recently ranked 13th nationally by Blue Ridge and supported by more than $25M in external funding from NIH, NSF, CPRIT, the Welch Foundation, and others. With 24 primary faculty and strong research, affiliate, and trainee communities, BSB conducts research at the interface of molecular structure and cellular to organ-level function, with strengths in cancer, signaling, host-pathogen interactions, metabolism, and structural biology. The department plays a central role in drug discovery and houses key shared facilities, including mass spectrometry, structural biology, and innovative drug discovery cores.

Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics

The Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics is the hub for immunology and microbiology research and training in the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, with substantial NIH support. Research strengths include microbial pathogenesis, host-pathogen interactions, vaccine immunology, tumor immunology, and autoimmunity, with a focus on therapeutic development. The department maintains strong collaborations with UT San Antonio and the Texas Biomedical Research Institute, including partnerships in vaccine development.

Department of Pharmacology

The Department of Pharmacology is a nationally ranked, research-intensive department in the Long School of Medicine with more than $13M in annual research funding. Its strengths include drug-receptor interactions, neuroscience, pain, addiction, aging, cancer, and drug discovery, supported by major research centers and a robust ecosystem of graduate, postdoctoral, and undergraduate training programs that promote interdisciplinary collaboration and national visibility.

Centers and Institutes

The Center for Innovative Drug Discovery (CIDD) is a joint venture between the Health campus and the Academic campus at the newly merged UT San Antonio. The CIDD provides capabilities and core services in support of biomedical research related to drug discovery. The Brain Health Consortium (BHC) at UT San Antonio is a rapidly expanding, multidisciplinary research powerhouse uniting more than 70 faculty across five academic colleges to advance discovery in brain health. The NIA-designated Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases combines biological and computational research into a wide range of neurodegenerative and neurovascular diseases, including large-scale international collaborative multi-omic drug target identification, education and advocacy. The NIA-funded Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies is a nationally recognized leader in aging research and intervention and advances fundamental discoveries in the biology of aging and the development of therapies to prevent, treat, and cure age-related disease. The NCI-designated Mays Cancer Center has a famed history in drug development, leading to FDA approval of over 21 new cancer drugs and currently has 5 novel drugs from its science in clinical trials.

Collectively, these departments and institutes form a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary environment that integrates discovery, preclinical and clinical translation, and workforce development, providing a strong foundation for strategic cluster hires aimed at addressing complex challenges in human health.

Position Summary

We seek to hire three outstanding candidates with a strong record of research aligned with the Drug Discovery cluster and a demonstrated commitment to transdisciplinary scholarship. Successful applicants will lead cutting-edge research programs that integrate one or more of the following areas:

1. Medicinal Chemistry/Chemical Biology
2. Structural and Computational Biology
3. Biomedical research approaches to identify and develop novel drugs for a range of disease conditions.

Each candidate is expected to have an extramurally funded research program and to participate in teaching and mentoring at the undergraduate and/or graduate level. Successful candidates are expected to support the University’s mission as an R1 academic enterprise and its strong commitment to student success.

The successful candidate will join a highly interactive and collaborative group of faculty across the campuses of UT San Antonio and various basic science and clinical departments. Together, these strengths create a uniquely transdisciplinary environment where all phases of early drug discovery and development can be accomplished collaboratively. Ideally, the successful candidate will have a cross-appointment in the College of Sciences and the Long School of Medicine.

Required Qualifications

• Applicants must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree(s) and have an established national reputation in their field.
• Successful candidates must have a strong record of collaborative research partnerships bridging multiple areas of drug discovery.
• Successful candidates will be expected to lead and foster collaborations across departments and external partners, while demonstrating the ability to sustain and grow a robust research program.
• Applicants must have an externally funded research program and an outstanding and continuous record of scholarly productivity.
• A commitment to contributing to UTSA’s instructional mission, including teaching and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students is also essential.
• This position requires the ability to maintain the security and integrity of UT San Antonio and its infrastructure.

Preferred Qualifications

• Preferred scholars will naturally embrace the university’s environment of collegiality, academic excellence, and transdisciplinary collaboration.

Application Process

To apply, applicants must upload the following documents:

• A cover letter highlighting accomplishments and future goals (2-page limit)
• A research statement and summary of future research goals (3-page limit)
• A teaching statement including teaching philosophy (1 page limit)
• A statement highlighting potential areas for transdisciplinary collaboration (1-page limit)
• A curriculum vitae including contact information for at least three references (no limit)

Tenure is contingent upon Board of Regents approval, and applicants must show a demonstrated commitment.

Please submit all materials through the UT San Antonio Human Resources website: https://www.utsa.edu/people-excellence/careers/

Application review and interviews will begin as early as 2/15/2026 and will continue until these positions are filled. For more information, please contact Dr. Reuben Harris (rsh@uthscsa.edu) and/or Dr. Stanton F McHardy (Stanton.mchardy@utsa.edu), co-chairs of the Drug Discovery and Development CCP Search Committee.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. UT San Antonio offers an attractive package of benefits, including medical and dental coverage plus a choice of participation in the Teacher Retirement System or an Optional Retirement System. More information can be found at UT San Antonio Benefits.

Cluster Hiring Interview Process
UT San Antonio aims to bring transdisciplinary and collaborative groups of faculty researchers to the university through its CCP program. As such, the on-campus interview for these positions will be conducted as a collaborative group interview, during which all on-campus candidates for a position will meet with university faculty and staff simultaneously. This collaborative process allows candidates to discuss potential research collaborations with fellow candidates and current faculty. Additionally, each candidate will be given the chance to present their research and engage faculty, staff, and students.

This position is contingent upon a successful background check. Applicants selected must be able to show proof of eligibility to work in the United States by time of hire.

Equal Employment Opportunity

As an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer, it is the policy of The University of Texas at San Antonio to promote and ensure equal employment opportunity for all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or genetic information, and veteran status. The University is committed to the Affirmative Action Program in compliance with all government requirements to ensure nondiscrimination.

To view the full job posting and apply for this position, go to https://zahr-prd-candidate-ada.utshare.utsystem.edu/psp/ZAHRPRDADA/EMPLOYEE/UTZ_CG/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=21&JobOpeningId=14880&PostingSeq=1