University Assistant/Associate Professor in Control Theory and Systems Biology

Applications are invited for a University Assistant/Associate Professorship in the broad area of Control Theory and Systems Biology. The successful candidate will join the Control Group (https://www-control.eng.cam.ac.uk/) in the Information Engineering Division of the Department of Engineering. The Group has an international reputation in control systems, optimisation, and decision-making, and plays a central role in shaping cross-disciplinary research within the Department. The candidate will lead a research programme at the interface of control engineering and biological systems, interpreted broadly.

We encourage applicants whose expertise strengthens our activities in control theory, systems biology, synthetic biology, dynamical systems, optimisation, learning-based control, networked biological systems, and feedback regulation in living systems. We particularly welcome candidates working on one or more of the following themes:

• Cybergenetics and control of gene circuits
• Control systems approaches to synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, or biomanufacturing
• Control and modelling of immune or physiological systems
• Cell-free systems, bio-control architectures, and precision biotechnologies
• Dynamical modelling, inference, and control of complex biological networks

Applications are encouraged from both theoretical/data driven and experimental investigators, including applications of control theory to engineering biology, healthcare technologies, bio-electronic systems, biorobotics and fundamental theory of control systems motivated by biological challenges. We are particularly interested in applicants with wet-lab experience in biological experimentation, including microfluidics, quantitative imaging, cell-free systems, or synthetic biology, as this will strengthen the Group's growing links with Engineering Biology and support our expanding laboratory teaching and research infrastructure. We are willing to support applicants who are in the process of applying for independent fellowships, provided conditions are compatible with undergraduate teaching contributions.

The successful applicant will have opportunities for major interdisciplinary collaborations across the Department and the wider University, including strong links with Engineering Biology, Biomedical Engineering, the Cambridge Systems Biology Centre, and the local biotechnology innovation ecosystem. We will give priority to candidates whose research programme naturally integrates theory, modelling, and experimental validation and who are well placed to benefit from the above areas of  collaboration.

The candidate will contribute to the teaching activities of the Division, including core control courses and undergraduate and MPhil teaching in Bioengineering. Candidates with relevant expertise may also contribute to laboratory-based teaching in bioreactor control and synthetic biology.

In addition to this, please ensure that you upload the application documentation as follows:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Full publications list, highlighting up to 5 publications you regard as most significant
• Statement (no more than two pages in total) covering professional, teaching and research experience and describing your future research plans
• Cover letter

If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application. 

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the HR Office (hr-office@eng.cam.ac.uk, +44 (0) 1223 332615).

The interviewing panel will meet soon after the closing date to produce a short-list; references may be solicited. Short-listed candidates will be invited to visit the Department, give a short seminar/lecture, and attend a formal interview. The selection process is expected to take place in March/April 2026.

Informal enquiries may be made to Prof. Malcolm C. Smith, Head of the Control Group (email: mcs1000@cam.ac.uk), Prof. Glenn Vinnicombe (gv103@cam.ac.uk), Prof. Timothy O'Leary (tso24@cam.ac.uk) and Dr Somenath Bakshi (email: sb2330@cam.ac.uk).

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

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