Senior Postdoctoral Researcher in Application of AI for Medicine

We have a new and exciting opportunity for a Senior Postdoctoral Researcher to join the new Oxford-GSK partnership focused on biostatistics and artificial intelligence (AI) for application in medicine, with a primary focus on optimizing clinical trial design. The partnership will bring together the University of Oxford’s expertise in statistics, mathematics, engineering and AI with industry scientists, forming small teams focused on ambitious, ‘blue sky’ research for novel methods development relevant for drug discovery analysis pipelines, trial design and operational efficiency. Led by Professor Chris Holmes, the centre will initially focus on the following thematic areas: 

• Decision analysis under model misspecification
• Uncertainty quantification around LLMs
• Constrained experimental design
• Combining models and combining data / Realistic simulation of clinical trials
• Developing LLMs to utilise ODEs and ProbML as tools, Code synthesis for causality
• Generalisability, transportability and validation of multiomics ML across biobanks 

You will primarily contribute to research on optimizing clinical trials, developing data-driven methodologies for dynamic site portfolio management during trial execution. This work involves creating frameworks for adaptive decision-making, using techniques from operations research and machine learning. This particular thematic area will be supervised by Associate Professor Agni Orfanoudaki. 

You will be responsible for planning and managing your own research programme within the collaboration. You will work closely with Principal Investigators and industry scientists to agree clear task objectives, organise work and delegate as appropriate, keeping accurate and comprehensive records of work undertaken. You will contribute intellectually to the development of ‘pathfinder’ projects and help shape the direction of research themes and the wider partnership in the longer term for delivery of new methods relevant for drug discovery analysis pipelines, trial design and operational efficiency. Other responsibilities will include helping with supervision of PhD students working on projects as part of the initiative, performing analysis in close contact with the associated clinical researchers and taking responsibility for completion of data analyses. You will communicate on a regular basis with the relevant theme leads (Oxford and GSK) and wider team on all issues relating to the development and application of new methods, ensuring they are kept fully up to date with progress and difficulties in the research projects.

It is essential that you hold a PhD/DPhil in a quantitative discipline (eg Operations Research, Management Science, Statistics, Machine Learning, Applied Mathematics, Biostatistics, AI, Engineering) and have previous research experience. You will have experience in and an ability to develop research projects, with a strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. You will have a proven ability in providing intellectual support and technical advice on projects and in assisting others in tools relating to data processing and analysis. A forward-thinking, collaborative approach to research will be essential to meet the aims of the partnership.

Applications for this vacancy should be made online and you will need to upload a supporting statement and CV. Your supporting statement must explain how you meet each of the selection criteria for the post using examples of your skills and experience. Please restrict your documentation to your CV and supporting statement only. Any other documents will be requested at a later date.

This position is offered full time on a fixed term contract until 30 September 2028 and is funded by GSK.

Only applications received before 12 midday on 6 November 2025 will be considered. Please quote 182278 on all correspondence.

Advert information