The Department is integral to WVU School of Medicine’s core mission of advancing human health through education and research excellence.  With 18 full-time faculty members and 14 adjunct faculty members from the university, the department conducts multidisciplinary research on mechanisms underlying cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neurological disorders, cancer, and aging as well as research to translate discoveries to better healthcare.  These studies are supported by extramural funding from federal agencies including NIH, NSF, CDC, and USDA as well as private sources.  The Department is also responsible for physiology, pharmacology, and toxicology courses for medical, health professional, and graduate students in the School of Medicine and the School of Dentistry.  The Department is the home of a Ph.D. degree program in Cellular and Integrated Physiology (CIP) and an NIH-funded predoctoral training program (T32) in Systems Toxicology.  The Department will benefit from a rich collaborative environment that includes strong ties with clinical departments, access to cutting-edge core facilities and opportunities for joint initiatives across WVU’s Health Sciences Center. The Chair is responsible for the department’s research and education efforts toward its academic mission, fiscal operation, and personnel management and expected to lead the development of a strategic plan for the department. The Chair reports to the Vice Dean for Research, School of Medicine.

As a land-grant institution, WVU’s faculty, staff, and students are committed to the advancement of education, healthcare, and prosperity for all by providing access and opportunity; advancing high-impact research; and leading transformation in West Virginia and the world through local, state, and global engagement. WVU enrolls approximately 27,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students and is proud to hold an R1 research classification, the highest research activity described by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

The WVU Health Sciences Center includes the Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Public Health, and Nursing on one campus, optimizing ease of interaction and nurturing a collaborative culture. Patient care facilities include a 700+ bed academic medical campus comprised of the J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital with a Level I Trauma Center, WVU Children’s Hospital, WVU Cancer Institute, WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and the 70-bed Chestnut Ridge Psychiatric Facility.   

Morgantown has approximately 31,000 residents and is ranked among the most livable small cities in the country.  The area offers a large city's cultural diversity and amenities in a safe, family-friendly environment. Residents enjoy nationally ranked schools, excellent healthcare, low unemployment, low crime rates, and world-class recreational opportunities. Morgantown Municipal Airport (MGW) conveniently offers direct flights to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), and Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is located approximately an hour drive from Morgantown. The community lies within a high-technology corridor that includes several federal research facilities, such as the U.S. DOE’s NETL, NASA’s Independent Verification and Validation Facility (IV&V), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as private industry. Morgantown is within reasonable driving distance of Pittsburgh, Columbus, Cleveland, Washington, DC, and Baltimore. Additional details on the area and the University are available at http://www.morgantownwv.gov/ and http://www.wvu.edu.