Research Fellow in Optical Imaging of the Infant Brain

About the role

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral electronic engineer or physicist to join a disciplinary team who are internationally recognised as leaders in the application of optical systems for diagnosis and assessment of infant brain pathology. The job will involve designing, building, and evaluating a new kind of optical imaging system for assessing a variety of newborn infants in a hospital intensive care unit. The post holder will have primary responsibility for the development and evaluation of the system, and of the data processing and image display software. The post holder will also work with the clinical team to test the system on newborn infants. The role will also involve preparing and presenting findings of research activity to colleagues for review purposes, contributing to the drafting and submitting of papers to appropriate peer-reviewed journals, and contributing to the overall activities of the research team and department as required.

This Research Fellow position will be appointed at Grade 7 (£45,103 - £47,451 inclusive of London Allowance). This is a fixed-term appointment, and is available until 2.11.2028. The closing deadline for applications is September 25, 2025, and interviews will be arranged for early October.

About you

The successful applicant will have a PhD in electronic engineering, physics, or a related subject. The applicant will have experience in designing, assembling, and testing electronic systems, and have familiarity with the principles and operation of optical imaging methods and technologies. Demonstrable skills in data processing and computer-aided design, authorship of scientific papers, communication skills and a willingness to contribute to public events, as well as professionalism when dealing with external collaborators are also essential.

The role will require the applicant to: design and assemble novel opt-electronic imaging hardware; develop and implement software for system control, data calibration and processing; evaluate the system on objects with tissue-like properties and on adult human volunteers; and assist with ethically-approved imaging studies on newborn infants. The role holder will also present this work at international conferences and in papers published in scientific journals.

Applications should include a CV and a Cover Letter: In the Cover Letter, please explain how you meet the essential and desirable criteria in the Person Specification part of the Job Description. Please upload this in the cover letter attachment section of the application form. By including a Cover Letter, you can leave blank the “Why you have applied for this role” field in the online application form (which is limited in the number of characters it will allow.)

This role meets the eligibility requirements for a skilled worker certificate of sponsorship or a global talent visa under UK Visas and Immigration legislation.

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