Associate/Full Professor in Physical Activity and Brain/Mental Health

Posting Details ================

Position Details ----------------

• Title: Associate/Full Professor in Physical Activity and Brain-Mental Health
• Appointment Status: Tenure
• Department: IU Indianapolis Department of Psychology - School of Science
• Location: Indianapolis

Position Summary ----------------

The IU Indianapolis Department of Psychology - School of Science and the School of Health and Human Sciences at Indiana University Indianapolis invite applications for a tenured associate or full professor position at the intersection of physical activity and brain-mental health. The ideal candidate will have an outstanding scholarly record of human subjects research focused on physical activity, sedentary behavior, exercise, and/or related constructs, particularly in connection with mental health and brain function.

Research Areas of Interest -------------------------

• Developing testing and/or implementing innovative interventions targeting physical activity and/or sedentary behavior to prevent or treat mental illness, substance use, or brain disorders
• Exploring mental health in high-level athletes and the connection between mental health and sport performance
• Conducting trials with novel devices targeting physical activity and/or sedentary behavior to prevent or treat mental illness, substance use, or brain disorders
• Integrating passive monitoring data with the electronic health record to improve the diagnosis and treatment of mental health, substance use, or brain disorders
• Improving approaches to measuring and monitoring physical activity and sedentary behavior, such as actigraphy, mobile tracking technology, passive monitoring, and artificial intelligence applications
• Elucidating mechanisms, e.g., systemic inflammation, gut microbiota, etc., underlying the impact of physical activity and sedentary behavior on mental health, e.g., substance use, anxiety, depression, mood regulation, stress, and coping, and/or brain function, e.g., brain plasticity, synaptic growth, brain network organization and connectivity, cognitive function
• Using advanced neuroimaging and/or machine learning techniques to understand the connection between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and brain health
• Examining the effects of prolonged sedentary behavior on brain and mental health, particularly in aging populations, and identifying the neurobiological pathways through which these effects impact conditions like depression, anxiety, and dementia
• Advancing understanding of the impacts of mental health, substance use, or brain function, e.g., traumatic brain injury, brain aging, depression, on physical activity and/or sedentary behavior
• Studying how disruptions in circadian and behavioral rhythms and interventions addressing such rhythms impact mental health, substance use, or brain function

Collaborative Research Efforts -----------------------------

Exciting collaborative research efforts in areas overlapping with Physical Activity and Brain-Mental Health are currently underway at IU Indianapolis. In one large project, IU Indianapolis faculty are actively engaging the Indiana Pacers, USA Gymnastics, and Penske Racing among others in a large collaborative effort to explore factors impacting womens sports performance. In another effort, faculty at IU Indianapolis are working toward establishing a research center focused on injury recovery in women across the lifespan. These efforts and others could provide terrific opportunities at IU Indianapolis for the successful candidate.

Requirements ------------

• PhD from a field related to the themes described, including but not limited to neuroscience, psychology, exercise science, public health, kinesiology, or physical therapy
• Tenure at the current institution
• Record of outstanding research productivity with impact in any of the above-mentioned areas
• Demonstrated ability to secure and sustain externally funded research

Department Contact -----------------

For questions, please contact Jeanette Jefferson at jajeffer@iu.edu.

Salary and Rank ----------------

Commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Special Instructions -------------------

Application documents required:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Letter of Application
• Research Agenda
• Description of professional experience and teaching experience
• Contact information of three references

For best consideration, please submit your application by November 1, 2025.

Expected Start Date -------------------

August 1, 2026

Posting Number ----------------

IU-101329-2025

Supplemental Questions ----------------------

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk.