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Clinical Research Chair in Addictions
The FoMD and the Norlien Foundation are committed to working together to develop world-class expertise in addictions research. The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry (FoMD) and the Norlien Foundation are eager to advance translational and diagnostic research in addictions to improve clinical care and quality of life for those who are impacted by addictions. The establishment of an Endowed Chair is an important event for the Norlien Foundation and the FoMD as it provides an opportunity to advance the academic mission and catalyze new research initiatives.

The successful candidate will have the unique opportunity of leveraging off of the Norlien Foundation’s knowledge translation and mobilization efforts. While building upon and contributing to existing synergies, the Chair will be responsible for fostering strong relationships and collaborations across disciplines and medical teams both internally and externally. In support of the goals of the FoMD and the Norlien Foundation the Chair will have the opportunity to increase research productivity in order to build momentum and draw attention to addictions research with the goal of building a broader addictions research program.

Funded by the Norlien Foundation, the endowment will help support the research program undertaken by the Clinical Research Chair in Addictions. The Chair is established with a generous five-year pledge; and subject to satisfactory review, funding may be made available for an additional five years. The endowment will be invested, managed and controlled in accordance with the investment and endowment policies of the University of Alberta.

The incumbent will hold a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty appointment in an appropriate division or department at a minimum rank of associate professor depending on the qualifications and experience of the candidate.

In line with emerging strengths in neuroscience research, the FoMD and the Norlien Foundation are seeking to recruit a Chair focusing on but not restricted to one or more of the following:

• A connection between early brain and biological development and addiction;
• Addiction as a broad range of behaviours in addition to alcohol, drugs and gambling, including sex, food and other human behaviours;
• Addiction as a family disease; and
• Addiction as a chronic, relapsing disease that can be treated effectively with the use of a chronic care management disease model.

Key Accountabilities:

• Conducting health outcomes research relevant to current and emerging research trends and service delivery issues related to the neuroscience of addictions;
• The development of a translational developmental neuroscience research program that is relevant to policy makers, planners and the general public;
• The provision of leadership in research, curriculum development and/or service delivery supporting a comprehensive research and treatment program in addictions;
• The promotion and participation in collaborative research throughout Alberta on a wide range of addictions across disciplines;
• Building capacity to support existing resources available at the University of Alberta and at other academic institutions throughout the province;
• Attracting outstanding students, postdoctoral fellows, research associates and faculty members to the University of Alberta; building capacity in addictions clinical care;
• Establishing links with the Centre for Effective Business Management of Addiction Treatment of the University of Alberta’s School of Business, the Alberta Centennial Addiction and Mental Health Research Chair, the FoMD Health Outcomes Research Institute, the School of Public Health, and other researchers; and
• Assisting in establishing a clinical, research, and knowledge translation relationship with Alberta Health Services for addictions.

An appointee occupying the position of the Chair shall, at a minimum, meet the following requirements:

• An MD and/or a Ph.D. degree;
• A notable reputation as a researcher in addictions research;
• A successful track record of being awarded grants and research funding;
• An established investigator with experience on grant panels and as a scientific journal peer review or editor;
• Visionary with demonstrated ability to build a cohesive, collaborative team focused on advancing research and patient care;
• Strong leader with excellent interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships that bring a variety of disciplines and expertise together;
• Superior verbal and written communications skills; and
• Success in applying for extramural funding, with the intention to further advance addictions research and education programs.

The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry
The FoMD strives for academic excellence and pursuit of their stated core purpose “to promote health through innovative leadership in research, education and service.” To achieve the core purpose and vision of the Faculty, the values of: scholarship; leadership; excellence in the context of social responsibility and accountability; honesty and integrity; people first; and collective success supporting individual excellence are held in high regard.

The achievements of the Faculty are evident in all of its portfolios. The Faculty garners over 40% of the University’s overall research funding and employs many national and international awardees. Academically, the Faculty graduates medical students that rank first in the country on the licensing examination and has established several renowned clinical programs.

Since its beginning in 1913, Medicine at the University of Alberta has had a tradition of educating highly skilled practitioners. The FoMD at the University of Alberta is dedicated to providing learner-centered educational programs that meet the health-care needs of our communities by graduating qualified, compassionate and inquisitive practitioners and researchers accomplished in health-care delivery and scholarship. The Faculty is committed to serving patients and populations by providing a rich interdisciplinary environment of learning, practice, research and public service for all its students and faculty.

The size and complexity of the FoMD is emphasized by the following numbers: 20+ Departments organized into eight virtual Schools; 25 Research Centres and Institutes; 12 Research Groups; seven national networks of Centres of Excellence; undergraduate programs in four areas (MD, DDS, DH, and MLS); 54 residency programs; 19 graduate programs; 826 full-time faculty; 1,341 clinical faculty; 297 support staff funded from the operating budget; 739 trust-funded support staff; approximately 1,300 undergraduate students (including an intake in 2009 of 189 medical students, 36 dental students, 44 dental hygienist students and 32 medical laboratory science students); 491 graduate students; 772 residents and 68 fellows.

Research

Under the leadership of Dean Philip Baker, the Faculty has placed a renewed emphasis on research programs and is actively recruiting to attract more of the best and brightest to further enhance their international reputation as a forerunner in the area of scientific inquiry and the dissemination of new knowledge.

The FoMD at the University of Alberta strives to be an international leader in generating, applying and disseminating new medical knowledge for the benefit of all. As such, research is given high priority and is fully integrated with teaching activities. University of Alberta researchers are among the most competitive in the country in terms of funding from the major federal granting councils and other sources. The Faculty's excellence in this area is amply demonstrated. In 2008-2009, it generated an estimated $190 million in research funding, making up 40 per cent of the University’s total.

Researchers in the FoMD explore every aspect of health and disease, from evidence-based orthodontics to pediatric pathology to changing public policy. Many of the research groups are recognized globally and lead the world in diabetes research with the development of the Edmonton protocol for the treatment of Type 1 diabetes. The Faculty is also in the forefront in several other areas, including membrane protein and structural biology, motor control and rehabilitation, transplantation, diabetes (including obesity), virology, cardiovascular biology, cancer studies, neuroscience, women and children’s health, and epidemiology.

With support from major research institutions, other government organizations and charitable foundations, the Faculty has attracted many world-class investigators. Together, they have created a vibrant environment for basic and applied research covering a wide spectrum. The University’s scientists are highly sought after by research centers in North America, Europe and throughout the world.

For additional information on the Department of Medicine, please visit: www.medicine.med.ualberta.ca

The University of Alberta
Our client, the University of Alberta, is recognized as one of the premier teaching and learning institutions in Canada, as well as an incubator of creative research and groundbreaking discovery. The University of Alberta serves more than 37,000 students in 200 undergraduate programs and 170 graduate programs. As an organization, the University is moving “Dare to Discover: A Vision for a Great University” from words and ideas into decisive actions. Based on four cornerstones – Talented People; Learning, Discovery, and Citizenship; Connecting Communities; and Transformative Organization and Support – the University aspires to be one of the top 20 public universities in the world by the year 2020.

Mission: Within a vibrant and supportive learning environment, the University of Alberta discovers, disseminates and applies new knowledge through teaching and learning, research and creative activity, community involvement and partnerships.

The University of Alberta gives a national and international voice to innovation in the province of Alberta, taking a lead role in placing Canada at the global forefront. Internationally, the University of Alberta is considered one of the top research universities in the world and has 336 teaching and research agreements with governments and partner institutions in 50 countries. As an employer, the University of Alberta was named one of Alberta’s Top 50 Employers for 2010.

The University of Alberta has played a key role in building Canada’s most diverse and booming economy, and Edmontonians are proud their city is home to the University. In a July 2008 survey, 82 per cent of residents said the University of Alberta was “very important” to civic pride, nearly double the next closest institution.

The University of Alberta and the City of Edmonton have grown and prospered together over the last century and are poised to soar even higher in the next century. The University acts as a magnet drawing some of the world’s best students and researchers to this dynamic city of one million people situated on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. Edmonton’s stellar public school system, fantastic recreational opportunities, and superior cultural institutions are a major draw. The rolling prairies around Edmonton flow into the majestic Rocky Mountains with all they have to offer less than four hours to the west.

For additional information on the University of Alberta, please visit:www.ualberta.ca.

The Norlien Foundation
Created in 1997, the Norlien Foundation is a proactive private foundation with offices in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta. In 2007, the Foundation created the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI). The AFWI’s mission is to connect with emerging research about experience-based brain development as it relates to early childhood development, addiction and health in order to minimize the gap between “what we know” and “what we do”.

Research in early brain development has proven that biology, early experiences and surroundings affect the way in which the brain develops; however, this knowledge is not always reflected in policy or practice. Through activities in networking, knowledge translation and transfer, applied research, and evaluation, the AFWI is continually seeking to benefit families in Alberta. Since its inception, the AFWI has funded and initiated a multitude of programs aimed at advancing research in early childhood development and addiction to identify practical policy alternatives, promote innovative decision-making and advance best practices for the benefit of families living in Alberta.

A province-wide collaborative is needed to focus on these critical issues and develop frameworks, strategies and priorities around applied and basic research, interdisciplinary education, outcomes, measurement and practical community-based interventions. The key elements of a renewed and comprehensive plan require a focus on:

• Research – Build on Alberta’s current resources to enhance research capacity;
• Education – Use the most current knowledge to educate clinicians working in early childhood development and addiction prevention and treatment;
• Service – Provide Albertans with programs and interventions based on best practices;
• Evaluation – Undertake program evaluations of innovative early childhood development and addiction prevention and treatment programs throughout the process; and
• Public Policy – Identify innovative and practical policy alternatives.

The Foundation has established partnerships with a number of national and international organizations, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Harvard Center on the Developing Child, the Treatment Research Institute, the Academy of Finland, the Universities of Calgary, Lethbridge and Alberta, Alberta Health Services, and addiction treatment programs internationally, nationally and provincially in addition to community organizations within Alberta.

For more information on the Norlien Foundation and the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative, please visit their website at: www.norlien.org.

The Compensation
An excellent compensation package awaits the successful candidate.

The Location
Edmonton, Alberta

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT CAROLYNNE MCCAUGHEY (780) 432-5490 Ext. 415 KRISTEN DOUPE (780) 432-5490 Ext. 429 OR ANTARA SPITZIG (780) 432-5490 Ext. 407 CONROY ROSS PARTNERS LIMITED

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