Clinical Pharmacology, Division Director - Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology Children'S Mercy

The Department of Pediatrics at Childrens Mercy seeks a creative and scholarly leader
\n to serve as Division Director of Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutic
\n Innovation. The Division Director will be responsible for leading the research, educational,
\n and quality missions of Clinical Pharmacology, an academic division focused on providing
\n clinical consultation and research programs aimed at making the use of medications in
\n children safer and more effective. Within the division, the Section of Medical Toxicology
\n provides consultative services for potential poison exposures, including overdoses,
\n environmental exposures, and envenomations. The Division Director will foster
\n collaborative ties throughout Childrens Mercy, bridging the divisions research missions
\n in genomic, clinical research, and translational interests across the Department of
\n Pediatrics and CMRI.

\n This is a faculty position offering academic appointments at the University of Missouri
\n Kansas City School of Medicine and the Kansas University School of Medicine, rank to
\n be commensurate with experience. Kansas City's strong culture of philanthropy has led
\n to the creation of many endowed roles available to distinguished and accomplished
\n leaders. An endowed position may be extended to the selected candidate, contingent
\n upon their qualifications and record of achievement.

Established in 1996, Clinical Pharmacology has a national and international reputation
\n for impactful translational science and excellence in training. The Division has a strong
\n record for successful extramural funding and an outstanding publication record. Clinical
\n Pharmacology faculty and staff are national leaders in pharmacogenetics, institutional
\n leaders in health equity research, and outstanding clinicians, using pharmacology and
\n toxicology to improve the care of patients. Among the groups in the Division are:

\n GOLDILOKs Clinic (GOLDILOKS stands for Genomic- and OntogenyLinked Dose Individualization and cLinical Optimization for KidS.) is a
\n multidisciplinary clinic with a pediatrician, clinical pharmacist, and nurse who see
\n patients with a variety of conditions including adverse drug reactions, drug-drug
\n interactions, and medication nonresponse. Additionally, the clinical staff meet
\n weekly with genetics lab experts and a social worker to discuss upcoming patients
\n and formulate a multidisciplinary care plan individualized to each patient. The clinic
\n offers educational opportunities to pharmacy students, medical students,
\n residents, and fellows.

The Medical Toxicology Consult Team provides consultative services for a variety
\n of environmental, exposure, overdose and poison issues. A Children's Mercy
\n Medical Toxicologist is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our
\n toxicologists also provide medical direction for the Kansas Poison Control Center.
\n This service on average has 150-200 beside consults per year. Academically, the
\n toxicologists provide lectures to CMH Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellows and
\n residents, CMH Pediatric Medicine fellows, TMC/University Health Emergency
\n Medicine residents, and 5th/6th year UMKC medical students. In continuing the
\n collaboration of research, Kansas Fights Addiction Grant-Opioid Withdrawal
\n Treatment Clinical Practice Guideline was rewarded.

\n Childrens Mercy Hospital (CMH) Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology (T32) training
\n program is the Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at CMH one of
\n the largest and most comprehensive Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology programs in
\n North America. Our fellowship training program is accredited by the American
\n Board of Clinical Pharmacology (ABCP) and has formally trained 31 fellows since
\n 1998 (21 pediatricians, 6 pharmacists, 1 advanced practice nurse, 3 PhD
\n scientists).

\n The drug biotransformation core serves to characterize drug disposition pathways
\n along with the consequences of drug metabolizing enzyme (DME) polymorphisms
\n in subcellular systems derived from pediatric tissues. A cell culture facility permits
\n fellows and faculty to explore the regulation and expression of DME related
\n proteins. A robust analytical core supports in vitro and in vivo pharmacology- and
\n metabolomics-related research, emphasizing the characterization of
\n developmental trajectories of drug disposition and response pathways.

\n Partnerships with University of Kansas Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
\n spectroscopy core allow for the characterization of drug metabolites or biomarker
\n development. The Analytical Chemistry Core Director can provide both didactic
\n and hands-on instruction to our trainees on quantitative pharmacology methods.

\n We have an internationally recognized pharmacogenetics/genomics (PGx)
\n program defining gene sequence variations related to drug disposition and action.
\n This program also administers the Pharmacogene Variation (PharmVar)
\n Consortium. The Pharmacogene Variation (PharmVar) Consortium is a globally
\n recognized central repository for pharmacogene (PGx) variation. The major focus
\n of PharmVar is to catalogue allelic variation of genes impacting drug metabolism,
\n disposition and response and provide a unifying designation system
\n (nomenclature) for the global pharmacogenetic/genomic community.

\n A team of dedicated health care providers and researchers in our Clinical
\n Pharmacology Division and Division of Clinical Genetics and Genomics offer an
\n in-house pharmacogenetic test called Kiddose PGx. This test helps clinicians
\n better understand how to dose medications for each specific patient when genetic
\n differences may play a role in their bodys response to pharmaceuticals.

\n Quality Improvement projects include Decreasing Turnaround Time of
\n Pharmacogenetic Testing which won a poster award at the UMKC School of
\n Medicine QIPS Day. Currently, there is an ongoing project to Decrease Insurance
\n Preauthorization Time for Pharmacogenetic Testing. Within our faculty roster, we
\n have someone who is an UMKC School of Medicine QIPS Faculty Scholar.
\n Through strategic team science collaboration with colleagues locally, nationally and
\n internationally, Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutic Innovation has
\n leveraged Childrens Mercy strengths in clinical care, genomics, and clinical
\n pharmacology to improve care, enhance research and speed translation of best practice
\n into the community.

\n The foremost qualities necessary for this position is vision for the field of clinical
\n pharmacology research and patient care. Other desired characteristics include 1) a track
\n record of extramural funding; 2) history of mentorship that includes developing young
\n investigators into independent scientists; 2) interest in academic infrastructure and
\n research finances; 3) successful collaborations with administration, hospital, medical, and
\n research partners; 4) unwavering commitment to the principles of diversity, equity and
\n inclusion; and 5) commitment to developing a culture of high team accountability and
\n professionalism.

\n The individual selected for this position will be a strategic and highly communicative
\n leader with a doctoral degree (MD, DO, MD/PhD, DO/PhD, PhD, or PharmD). The
\n Division Director of Clinical Pharmacology, Toxicology & Therapeutic Innovation reports
\n to the Chair of Pediatrics.

\n About Childrens Mercy
\n Childrens Mercy is one of the United States leading non-profit, independent pediatric
\n health systems, offering a comprehensive suite of departments, centers, and
\n clinics. Founded in 1897, Childrens Mercy is dedicated to holistic care, impactful
\n research, breakthrough innovation and educating the next generation of caregivers.
\n Guided by our mission, vision and values, our aim is to create a world of wellbeing for
\n all children. Childrens Mercy is consistently ranked among the best childrens hospitals
\n in the nation by US News & World Report, and we were the first hospital in Missouri or
\n Kansas to receive Magnet designation for excellence in patient care from the American
\n Nurses Credentialing Center an honor we have received five consecutive times.

\n Some Childrens Mercy facts and figures:
\n 390 licensed beds
\n Nearly 800 faculty
\n Over 50 specialties
\n 600,000 total visits
\n 190,000 emergency and urgent care visits
\n 20,000 surgical cases
\n Primary service area includes150 counties in Missouri and Kansas
\n Level 1 Childrens Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons
\n Only pediatric Level 1 Trauma Center between St. Louis and Denver
\n Comprehensive solid organ transplant center with sustained, exceptional
\n outcomes

\n Education
\n Education is a core tenet of Childrens Mercy. Childrens Mercy provides education
\n opportunities to nursing students, medical students, residents and fellows, supporting
\n over 1,400 learners annually. Childrens Mercy is the pediatric clerkship site for both
\n UMKC and KU medical students and provides elective rotations and sub-internships to
\n students at any accredited allopathic or osteopathic medical school. Childrens Mercy is
\n highly active in Graduate Medical Education with accredited residencies in pediatrics,
\n med/peds, child neurology, pediatric dentistry, pediatric optometry and pharmacy.
\n Childrens Mercy offers more than 40 fellowship programs across numerous areas,
\n developing the next generation of subspecialists. Certificate and masters programs are
\n also operated in conjunction with its academic partners, the University of Kansas (KU)
\n and the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC). Finally, our robust clinical training
\n resources are augmented by research opportunities for learners at all levels.

\n Research
\n Childrens Mercy is dedicated to becoming a leader in pediatric research. A directed
\n strategic planning initiative established the Childrens Mercy Research Institute (CMRI)
\n to focus on research and research infrastructure. Through the generosity of two
\n philanthropic gifts totaling $150 million, the hospital constructed a nine story, 375,000
\n square foot research facility to provide scientists with state-of-the-art technology. In
\n addition, these generous gifts help support funding for scientific programs and
\n recruitment. Research conducted today includes basic, translational, and clinical
\n research in numerous areas including pharmacology, cancer, cardiology, genetic
\n diseases and health outcomes. Areas of research strength include Precision
\n Therapeutics, Genomic Medicine, Population Health, Emerging Pathogens and
\n Innovations in Health Care Delivery. Beyond these areas of emphasis, Childrens Mercy
\n and the CMRI also provide encompassing resources for Childrens Mercy faculty to
\n pursue research, from developing a research question, biostatistical planning, grant
\n application and management, and coordination of clinical trials.

\n About Kansas City
\n Crossing into both Missouri and Kansas, the Kansas City Metropolitan Area is an
\n affordable and comfortable place to live and raise a family. The metros anchor city,
\n Kansas City, Missouri, is the largest city in the state and has great museums, a busy
\n downtown, multiple professional sports franchises, an exciting music scene and many
\n charming neighborhoods. Throughout the Metro area, you will find highly ranked public
\n schools, beautiful parks and other green spaces, and lots of amazing people. Kansas City
\n is large enough to provide the amenities of a metropolitan area, while small enough to
\n allow for easy commutes, assessable amenities and a very high quality of life.

\n Ideal Qualifications and Experience
\n MD, DO, PhD, or PharmD (or combination of degrees) is required
\n Current academic rank of Associate Professor or Professor
\n A strong record of academic achievement as evidenced by extramural funding in
\n the field of Clinical Pharmacology
\n Demonstrated interest in advancing research as it pertains to division activities and
\n interactions with the broader Childrens Mercy community
\n A commitment to our true north pillars: quality and safety, people, patient
\n experience, delivery and stewardship
\n Fosters and models our values: kindness, curiosity, inclusion, team and integrity
\n A deep commitment to fostering and supporting programs that address equity,
\n inclusion and diversity
\n A track record of partnership with academic medical centers
\n Strong interpersonal skills and the ability and commitment to collaborate with
\n leadership at partner institutions

\n Nominations and Applications (cover letter and curriculum vitae) should be submitted via
\n e-mail to: [email protected] as well as the committee co-chairs Dr. John Perry
\n ([email protected]) and Dr. Rachel Chevalier Chevalier ([email protected])

All materials will be treated as confidential.
\n Childrens Mercy is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

For additional
\n information, please visit our website at www.childrensmercy.org