Research Associate or Senior Research Associate (imaging and airflow modelling in early COPD)

Location: Hammersmith Campus

About the role:

This is an exciting opportunity to join the new GSK–Oxford–Imperial Modelling-Informed Medicine Centre (MiMeC) and develop imaging and airflow modelling research for early Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). This is a unique opportunity for an ambitious biomedical engineer wishing to develop their research with a multidisciplinary focus, working at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, data science and biomedical modelling. This post is funded by Glaxo Smith Kline Research and Development Ltd.

You will be part of MiMeC, a new collaboration applying mechanistic and data-driven modelling to accelerate and improve the development of novel drugs, devices, and lifestyle interventions. The centre brings together scientists, engineers, clinicians, and data experts from Imperial College London, the University of Oxford, and GSK to establish a world-leading hub for model-informed medicine.

You will also be working alongside Prof Steven Niederer’s computational and Prof Saman Sadiquis clinical research groups at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London applying statistical, machine learning and simulation approaches to combine experimental and clinical data with physics and biology to study the physiology, pathology, and therapies.

Please indicate in your supporting statement which job description best aligns with your background and expertise. Candidates will be considered for the appropriate level of seniority based on their experience and qualifications.

What we are looking for:

• A PhD and equivalent experience in Biomedical Engineering, Computational Imaging, Computer Science, Data Science, AI/ML, or a related field
• Experience with CT or MRI imaging, image segmentation, mesh generation, and/or computational geometry for biomedical applications
• Experience in developing and applying computational models of physiology, biomechanics, or airflow/fluid dynamics
• Knowledge and hands-on experience with computational modelling techniques in healthcare or biomedical sciences, and proficiency in programming languages such as Python or Julia
• Experience working with medical imaging in a research environment, including data preprocessing, quantitative feature extraction, and interpretation of imaging biomarkers

What you would be doing:

• Developing pipelines for CT-based airway segmentation, meshing and feature extraction
• Building and validating computational airflow models linked to patient-specific lung anatomy
• Developing multiscale ventilation models incorporating regional airflow distribution, compliance, and dynamic airway collapse
• Coupling airflow simulations to alveolar gas transport, diffusion, and blood-gas barrier transfer processes
• Integrating imaging-derived features with molecular and systems-biology models
• Delivering open-source tools, reproducible code and high-quality publications
• Presenting findings to Imperial, Oxford and GSK stakeholders and contributing to collaborative project planning
• Secondments at GSK to test models on industrial datasets and align with drug-development questions

What we can offer you:

• Supporting you in developing your career into an independent researcher at a world-leading institution
• Working with the Cardiac Electro-Mechanics Research Group led by Prof. Steven Niederer
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days off a year)

Further Information

The is a full time, fixed term role for 3 years with the possibility of an extension. 

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