Description

The Opportunity:
The University of Utah’s Department of Oncological Sciences (OncSci), in conjunction with Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI), invites applications for a visionary and mission-driven leader to serve as a senior faculty member and Chief of the new Division of Cancer Data and Artificial Intelligence (CDAI). 

Part of the University of Utah located in Salt Lake City, UT, HCI includes over 300 cancer-focused research teams and has established outstanding programs in laboratory research, clinical cancer research, and cancer control and population sciences and cross-disciplinary disease centers. HCI is the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Mountain West, has been rated in the ‘exceptional’ range at its past two reviews, and serves five states through, research, clinical care, and community outreach and engagement: Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Wyoming. With over 1 million square feet dedicated to research and clinical care, it provides patient and prevention education to more than one million residents globally. HCI uniquely integrates cancer hospitals with research buildings, enhancing the connection between cutting-edge research and clinical care. HCI is establishing a new state-of-the-art comprehensive cancer campus in Vineyard, Utah to be completed by 2028. This tenure-track faculty position will be hired immediately, yet is anticipated to be based at the new HCI Vineyard Campus in the future.

 HCI Vineyard Campus

The new HCI center in Vineyard has been supported by the state of Utah and extraordinary philanthropic contributions. HCI Vineyard will provide important access to patients in central and southern Utah, and exciting opportunities for new collaborations with academic and entrepreneurial partners in the area, including Utah Valley University (UVU), Brigham Young University (BYU), a leader in education in computational methods, and numerous technology/AI companies (Silicon Slopes). The new HCI Vineyard Campus will implement HCI’s top clinical trial portfolio and house national cancer research leaders. 

 The Vineyard Campus is HCI’s first major expansion beyond Salt Lake City and will serve as a hub for innovation in cancer care and research. In its first phase, the campus will advance four key areas of focus:

1. Health Care Transformation – redesigning cancer care delivery to improve access over distance, quality, efficiency, and patient experience.

2. AI, Data Science & Digital Oncology – leveraging technology for innovative discovery research, and/or to serve communities and patients through innovation, overcome distance as a barrier, and enable precision prevention and treatment.

3. Innovation in Clinical Trials – providing state-of-the-art oncology care and increasing access for rural and underserved populations.

4. Community Outreach & Engagement – partnering with communities across the Mountain West to close gaps in prevention, screening, and survivorship.

These four areas are designed to work in concert, creating a powerful ecosystem where innovations in one area fuel progress in others. Together, this synergy will enable Vineyard to pioneer new models that deliver a cancer free frontier across the Mountain West. 

The CDAI Division supports HCI Vineyard’s second area of focus (above) and will be central to the Department’s strategic focus on harnessing data science, machine learning, and AI to transform cancer research. The Division Chief will lead efforts to integrate computational oncology with basic and translational research in the Department of Oncological Sciences and will work closely with leaders in the other three areas at Vineyard and at the Salt Lake City campus to collaborate and synergize to transform cancer care for the Mountain West and beyond.

Key Responsibilities:

•       Define and execute the strategic vision for the CDAI Division, in collaboration with aligned leaders.
•       Help recruit faculty to the CDAI Division and, if applicable, to the Vineyard campus.
•       Build and manage transdisciplinary teams between the two campuses and across oncological sciences, bioinformatics, and computer science.
•       Lead an innovative research program in AI-driven cancer biology, diagnostics, and/or therapeutics.
•       Provide mentorship for early career faculty in the CDAI Division and participate in education of the next generation of cancer data scientists by participating in training programs and research mentorship.
•       Foster collaborations with academic institutions (e.g., UVU, BYU) and Silicon Slopes tech partners.
•       Secure extramural funding and oversee large-scale research initiatives.
•       Translate data science innovations into real-world clinical applications.
•       Represent the CDAI Division on national and international platforms.

Qualifications:

•       Associate or Full Professor with a PhD, MD, or equivalent in computational biology, data science, computer science, engineering, oncology, or related fields.
•       Exceptional communication and team-building skills.
•       Proven leadership in AI or data science with healthcare research applications.
•       Strong publication and funding record.

Preferred Expertise:

•       Machine learning, generative AI, large language models (LLMs), and data integration.
•       Oncology data types: Molecular data (genetics, genomics and epigenomics, spatial -omics, systems biology, molecular epidemiology), EHRs, imaging, digital health, and real-world evidence.
•       Bridging research with clinical and population data.

 
What We Offer:

•       A collaborative, mission-oriented academic environment. HCI and the University of Utah are known for their highly collaborative and collegial culture, where faculty work across disciplines to solve the most pressing challenges in cancer care. The successful candidate will thrive in this environment, building bridges between clinical, research, and community teams to deliver measurable impact.
•       Access to rich datasets and advanced computational infrastructure, with a new $50 million pledge to advance AI for cancer research
•       Synergy with Scientific Computing Institute (SCI), the Data Exploration and Learning for Precision Health Intelligence (DELPHI), Responsible Artificial Intelligence (RAI), and other University initiatives
•       Strategic partnerships with federal agencies and regional health systems.
•       Competitive compensation and benefits.
•       Leadership support to establish a nationally recognized center of excellence in cancer data and AI.