Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor

About the Role

The University of Houston's College of Optometry invites applications for an open-rank, tenure-track or tenured, position in Clinical Sciences. We seek an outstanding scientist or clinician-scientist to develop or maintain a nationally recognized, independent, externally funded research program in clinical and translational vision science or relevant applied biomedical sciences.

Areas Of Research Interest

All areas of clinical and translational vision science are welcome, particularly:

• Ocular Biomarkers and Systemic Health: Using the eye and visual system to detect, predict, and monitor systemic disease through ocular imaging, functional assessment, and clinical biomarkers.
• Rural Health and Healthcare Access: Innovative strategies to improve access to eye care, particularly in rural and underserved populations, through telehealth, remote diagnostics, and community-based models of care.
• Health Data Science and Clinical Informatics: Application of clinical informatics, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and large-scale health data to improve diagnosis, clinical decision-making, and patient outcomes.
• Health Systems and Population Health: Research addressing healthcare delivery, population-level disease burden, access to care, clinical outcomes, and the effectiveness of healthcare systems.
• Ocular Health, Nutrition, and Precision Vision Health: Interdisciplinary studies linking nutrition, metabolism, systemic health, and ocular disease, including individualized approaches to prevention and treatment.
• Ocular Growth and Refractive Development: Clinical and translational investigations of emmetropization, myopia, and the biological, behavioral, and environmental mechanisms influencing refractive development.
• Neurological and Cerebral Visual Disorders: Investigation of visual dysfunction associated with neurological conditions, including traumatic brain injury, stroke, dementia, and cerebral visual impairment.

These priorities are not restrictive; candidates complementing existing strengths or bringing novel approaches are encouraged to apply.

Research Environment

The College offers a collaborative, well-supported environment spanning biomedical discovery, clinical investigation, and translational research.

Research Resources And Opportunities Include

• Vision scientists and clinician-scientists using human-subjects research, experimental models, and molecular, behavioral, imaging, and optical methods.
• A National Eye Institute-supported P30 core grant providing instrumentation and optical design, programming and application development, biostatistics, histology, and biomedical imaging resources.
• Established clinical research programs, clinician-scientist training opportunities, and access to a large and diverse patient population.
• A developing cloud-based health data infrastructure integrating biological, clinical, imaging, and behavioral datasets for large-scale studies.
• Opportunities for collaboration across the University of Houston and with biomedical investigators in the neighboring Texas Medical Center.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and sustain an independent, nationally recognized research program supported by competitive external funding, particularly from the National Institutes of Health.
• Publish significant original research and contribute to collaborative scientific initiatives.
• Teach and mentor graduate and Doctor of Optometry students in areas aligned with their expertise.
• Participate in clinical education, patient-oriented research, or clinical service activities as appropriate to the appointment.
• Contribute to academic service and the College's research and educational missions.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• An earned O.D., Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent doctoral degree in a relevant clinical, biomedical, or scientific discipline.
• Demonstrated research expertise in clinical or translational vision science or a related field with applications to ocular or visual health.
• Evidence of scientific productivity and potential to establish or sustain an independent, externally funded research program.
• Strong communication and collaborative skills, with a commitment to research mentorship and education.

Preferred Qualifications

• Postdoctoral, clinical research fellowship, or equivalent advanced research experience.
• A strong record of peer-reviewed publications and competitive external funding, appropriate to career stage.
• Expertise in clinical research, health data science, clinical informatics, epidemiology, population health, biomedical imaging, or related translational methods.
• Experience developing collaborative research programs involving clinical and biomedical investigators.
• Experience teaching and mentoring graduate or health professions students.

Candidates providing patient care must be eligible for appropriate professional licensure in Texas. Clinical practice experience is desirable but not required for research-focused appointments.

Application Process

Review of applications will begin upon posting and continue until the position is filled. For fullest consideration, applications should be received by February 15, 2027.

Applicants Should Submit

• Cover letter describing qualifications, research interests, and potential contributions to the Department of Clinical Sciences.
• Curriculum vitae.
• Research statement outlining accomplishments, current activities, and future directions (2–3 pages).
• Statement of teaching and mentoring interests (1–2 pages).
• Names and contact information for three professional references.