Research Assistant

We have an exciting opportunity for a physicist / engineer with a passion for developing MRI reconstruction and analysis methods for pulmonary MRI to join the POLARIS research group at the University of Sheffield.

You will join the POLARIS group and our large and diverse academic Division of Clinical Medicine, under the mentorship of Dr Neil Stewart and Professor Jim Wild. The POLARIS group is internationally-recognised for research in MR methodology for hyperpolarised gas and proton MRI of the lungs (https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/polaris) and the Division of Clinical Medicine has an internationally strong research profile and excellent reputation for novel, research-led teaching.

You will develop AI-driven analysis and image reconstruction pipelines for paediatric pulmonary / cardiac MRI applications. Software packages for image segmentation, analysis and reconstruction will be established. Developed methods can be tested against a diverse cohort of infants and/or paediatric and/or adult patients with lung disease, as part of ongoing clinical studies. In addition, you will develop tools and software (e.g. interactive toys and games) to familiarise paediatric patients with lung / cardiac MRI prior to their visit, and in turn contribute to increased scan success in these populations. Hardware for improving patient experience, comfort and image quality will be designed and constructed. You will work closely with other MRI physicists and engineers, and alongside clinical partners at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Sheffield Children’s Hospital. In addition, this role offers you the opportunity to develop a working relationship with scientists at GE Healthcare and Advanced Healthcare Technologies.

You will contribute to the wider research group and actively participate in ongoing international collaborations with other academic, clinical and industrial research partners. In this flexible and dynamic role, you will generate highly impactful research at the interface between research and clinical translation.

Who we are looking for
We are seeking candidates with a good Honours degree in Physics or Engineering (or equivalent). Candidates should have excellent image processing and computational skills, with a high competency in Python and / or MATLAB and good practical electronics / engineering skills. Practical experience in pulmonary MR is preferred.

A proven track record of high-quality scientific publications and demonstrated evidence in working in a multi-disciplinary team is desirable but not expected at this career stage.

If you are passionate about methodology-driven translational pulmonary MR imaging research, then we would love to hear from you. 

About the Research Group
POLARIS has strong links with the Insigneo Institute for in silico medicine and with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield Children’s Hospital. We are internationally recognised for research in MR methodology for proton and non-proton MRI of the lungs (https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/polaris), and active beyond pulmonary MRI including neuroscience, abdominal and cardiovascular imaging, and multi-nuclear MRI. Our state-of-the-art imaging facilities including 3x 1.5T MRI scanners, a 3T PET-MR scanner, hyperpolarisation labs and a well-equipped RF engineering laboratory.

Advert information