(PhD by Enterprise) Realtime 3D analytics for reducing laboratory animal suffering

About the Project

Animals in academic and industrial facilities routinely undergo procedures—such as surgery and pharmacological or toxicological testing—that require welfare monitoring over days or weeks. Continuous in‑person monitoring by facility staff is not feasible: checks can only be performed at scheduled times and are often subjective, labour‑intensive, and costly. As a result, early indicators of distress may go undetected, delaying interventions and increasing animal suffering.

Recent advances in computer vision, deep learning, and transformer‑based models now allow animal pose and behaviour to be extracted from video data with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. While these technologies have the potential to transform animal testing and welfare monitoring, their adoption in research facilities remains extremely limited.

In this project, we will address these unmet needs by translating our 3D computer‑vision methods and AI models—trained on large multi‑camera datasets generated through BBSRC, NC3Rs, and Wellcome‑funded research—into a scalable welfare‑monitoring solution. To maximise translation and de‑risk deployment, we are partnering with two animal facilities (Manchester and Manipal), preclinical research groups, and a commercial provider of video‑based animal‑testing systems.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area.

Application Guidance

Candidates must contact the primary supervisor before applying to discuss their interest in the project and assess their suitability.

Apply directly via this link: https://shorturl.at/BRKKT or on the online application portal, select PhD by Enterprise Programme as the programme of study.

Please ensure that your application includes all required supporting documents:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Supporting Statement
• Academic Certificates and Transcripts

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Further details are available on our website:PhD by Enterprise | Biology, Medicine and Health | The University of Manchester

Funding Notes

This PhD by Enterprise studentships provide full funding for tuition fees and a stipend at the UKRI rate for four years starting in September 2026. This funded scheme will also allow for Visa and Immigration Costs to be reimbursed for successful international PGRs.