Assistant Professor, Tenure-track, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior

Cornell University

Focus: Neural Mechanisms of Natural Behavior

Location: Ithaca, NY. The academic home for this position is the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, housed on the Ithaca campus of Cornell University.

The Department of Neurobiology and Behavior (NBB) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell University welcomes applications for a full-time tenure-track position in The Neural Mechanisms of Natural Behaviors at the assistant professor level.

We seek an outstanding scientist whose research connects animal behavior to its underlying neural mechanisms. We are interested in candidates who study how the brain generates, controls, or is shaped by innate or learned behaviors that have evolved in natural contexts, for example communication, navigation, mating, foraging, or social interaction, and who integrate neural measurements with rigorous, quantitative analysis of animal behavior. Laboratory and/or field-based research programs that utilize experimental, physiological, genomic, developmental, computational, or comparative approaches to uncover the neural mechanisms of animal behavior are welcome. Candidates working across species (both model and non-model; vertebrate or invertebrate) are encouraged to apply.

NBB was founded on the premise that neurobiology and behavior must be studied together, and this position is central to that mission. Faculty have access to the Liddell Field Laboratory, a unique resource for studying behavior in naturalistic settings, as well as to resources of Cornell Neurotech, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Center for Vertebrate Genomics, Imaging and Biotechnology Cores, and to a rich community of neuroscientists and behavioral biologists across campus. Cornell also has an active community of physicists, engineers, and computational scientists developing tools for the analysis and quantification of animal physiology and behavior. We are committed to building a community in which behavior and its neural basis are understood as a single integrated phenomenon.

The successful candidate will be expected to develop a vigorous, externally funded research program, to contribute to undergraduate and graduate teaching, and to participate in the intellectual life of the department.

Responsibilities: This position has an effort split of 50% research and 50% teaching.

Applications and Starting Date: The anticipated starting date is July 1, 2027, or as negotiated. Qualified applicants should submit (1) a cover letter briefly summarizing background, qualifications, and interest in the position, (2) a Curriculum Vitae, (3) a research statement outlining experience, interests, and goals, (4) a teaching statement outlining experience, interests, and goals, (5) copies of four relevant publications, and (6) names and contact information for three references.

Materials should be submitted online to: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/32592. Applications received by November 15, 2026, will be given full consideration. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an on-site visit in early 2027.

This is an in-person position. The successful candidate will be expected to relocate within commuting distance of Ithaca, NY. Relocation assistance may be provided. Consistent with Cornell’s practice, appointment to academic positions require candidates to disclose relevant information about their prior employment including whether they have been found to have violated institutional or employer policies related to or governing unlawful discrimination and harassment, academic and research misconduct, or financial misconduct.

We seek a colleague with an outstanding record demonstrating success and promise across all these areas, and who will be supported by and contribute to a vibrant culture of inclusive excellence at Cornell. Learn how CALS fosters an environment where faculty are supported, valued, and empowered to make meaningful contributions throughout their careers.

Inquiries may be directed to:

Search Chair: Micheal Sheehan

Dept. Neurobiology and Behavior

Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853

Email: jkh222@cornell.edu

In compliance with New York's Pay Transparency Law, the annual base salary range for this assistant professor position is $90,000 - $135,000. This pay range represents base pay (for 9 months). Cornell University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.

Cornell University seeks to meet the needs of dual career couples, has a Dual Career program, and is a member of the Upstate New York Higher Education Recruitment Consortium to assist with dual career searches including positions available in higher education in the upstate New York area.

The new faculty member will join a collaborative, interdisciplinary community on the main campus in Ithaca, New York. Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League and Land-grant university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students, and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery, and engagement.

Cornell’s regional and global presence includes state-wide Cornell Cooperative Extension programs and offices in all counties and boroughs, global partnerships with institutions and communities engaged in life-changing research and education, the medical college’s campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, and the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City.

With a founding principle of “…any person…any study,” Cornell is an equal opportunity employer.