Quantum Technologies for Early Detection of Dementia

About the Project

Supervisors:

Professor Liudi Jiang L.Jiang@soton.ac.uk

Professor Michael Hornberger M.Hornberger@soton.ac.uk

Project Title:

Quantum Technologies for Early Detection of Dementia

This project, within the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Quantum Technology Engineering at the University of Southampton (https://qte.ac.uk), carries a UKRI TechExpert enhanced annual stipend around £31k for UK students. While researching the project outlined below you will also receive substantial training in scientific, technical, and commercial skills.

Project Description:

Explore the frontier of quantum technologies for healthcare! Investigate how quantum technologies can transform MRI based dementia research, laying foundations for novel diagnostics. Work at the intersection of quantum engineering, neuroscience, and clinical analysis, and lead an interdisciplinary project with the potential to shape future dementia care and beyond.

Quantum technologies offer fundamentally new ways to represent and process information, enabling algorithms that may surpass classical capabilities in high-dimensional tasks such as dementia MRI analysis. This novel project investigates variational quantum circuits, quantum enhanced feature maps, and hybrid quantum/classical architectures to capture subtle neuroanatomical correlations. Leveraging entanglement, interference, and non-classical feature interactions, the research explores algorithmic and approaches in quantum machine learning and their applicability to real-world medical imaging for early detection of dementia. By improving classification of dementia related changes in MRI, this work could lead to more accurate prognostic tools, earlier intervention strategies, and enhanced monitoring of disease progression, ultimately supporting better patient outcomes and informing clinical decision-making. The PhD will design and implement cutting-edge quantum algorithms integrated with classical CNN feature extractors. Key research components include developing quantum kernels for high-dimensional embeddings, optimising variational quantum circuits, evaluating performance under realistic noise, and benchmarking against classical models. Simulations will be performed using University of Southampton HPC resources and existing software frameworks, with select circuits deployed on real quantum devices. The project will systematically analyse scalability, robustness, and hybrid architecture performance, providing insights into novel quantum algorithmic strategies for medical image processing. The project benefits from a rich internal MRI dataset covering healthy, at-risk, and clinical dementia cohorts, supplemented by open-source datasets for validation. The interdisciplinary supervisory team provides combines expertise in quantum engineering, algorithm development, and MRI-based dementia research.

For more information, please contact the supervisor: Professor Liudi Jiang L.Jiang@soton.ac.uk

Entry Requirements:

Undergraduate degree (at least UK 2:1 honours degree, or international equivalent).

Closing Date:

31 July 2026. International applicants must apply before 31 March 2026.

Funding:

Funding is on a competitive basis. UK students receive a 4 year UKRI TechExpert tax-free stipend of around £31k per year (UKRI minimum +£10k); studentships at the UKRI minimum rate are available for EU and Horizon Europe students and International students. Overseas students who have or are seeking external funding are welcome to apply.

How to Apply:

Please apply via the online portal and select:

• Programme type: Research
• Academic year: 2026/27
• If you will be full time or part time
• Faculty: Engineering and Physical Sciences

Search for programme PhD Quantum Tech Eng

Please add the name of the supervisor in section 2 of the application.

Applications should include:

• your CV (resumé)
• 2 academic references
• degree transcripts/ certificates to date
• English language qualification (if applicable)

We are committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusivity and give full consideration to applicants seeking part-time study. The University of Southampton takes personal circumstances into account, has onsite childcare facilities, is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.