Research Assistant or Associate in Medical Robotics and AI-Assisted Telesurgery

Location: South Kensington (Hybrid)

About the role:

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher in Medical Robotics and AI to join a cutting-edge project funded by InnoHK and the Multi-scale Medical Robotics Centre (MRC) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). The successful candidate will contribute to the development of an advanced telesurgery platform built on a novel surgical system.

This role involves designing and integrating real-time software algorithms with robotic hardware, including perception, control, communication, and safety modules to enable safe, precise, and reliable remote surgical intervention. The project focuses on clinically relevant applications, demonstrating the feasibility and impact of AI-assisted telesurgery and remote surgical collaboration in realistic clinical environments.

What you would be doing:

• You will design and integrate real-time software modules for telesurgery, covering control, perception, communication, and AI-assisted decision support.
• You will develop and deploy advanced deep learning and foundation models for surgical scene understanding segmentation, tracking, and operator assistance.
• You will write, test, and optimise Python and C++ code for real-time robotic control and AI pipelines.
• You will design and tune control algorithms to ensure precise, stable, and safe remote robotic operation under communication constraints.
• You will develop and maintain robust hardware–software interfaces for sensors, actuators, and communication systems.
• You will contribute to system validation, simulation, benchmarking, and performance analysis in clinically relevant environments.

What we are looking for:

• PhD (or near completion) in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Control Engineering, or a related discipline; candidates without a PhD will be considered for Research Assistant.
• Strong programming expertise in Python and C++, with experience developing real-time robotic and AI systems.
• Experience in deep learning and computer vision, including development, fine-tuning, and deployment of modern AI models (e.g. CNNs, Transformers, foundation models) using frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Experience integrating software algorithms with robotic or electromechanical hardware, including perception, control, and safety-critical system design.
• Solid understanding of robotics fundamentals (kinematics, dynamics, control) and real-time communication constraints in distributed or remote systems.
• Excellent communication skills, with experience working in multidisciplinary research environments and contributing to peer-reviewed research outputs.

Full details of the essential and desirable criteria can be found in the job description. 

What we can offer you:

• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 38 days off a year)

Further Information (College website only)

This position is fixed term and is expected to run for up to 48 months.

If you require any further details on the role please contact: Professor Ferdinando Rodriguez y Baena – f.rodriguez@imperial.ac.uk.

Hybrid working may be considered for this role. Staff working in roles that are suitable for hybrid working will normally be expected to work 60% of their time onsite. The opportunity for hybrid working will be discussed at interview.

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