Research Associate (Neuroimaging/Cognitive-Clinical Neuroscience)

We are seeking to appoint a highly-motivated Research Associate, to join our interdisciplinary team developing open-source, low-field MRI technology for neuroscience research in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings. Within this Wellcome Trust funded project with 23 collaborators from 14 sites across the world and a wider group of stakeholders, you will lead the development of advanced MRI acquisition methods for our portable, ultra‑low‑field MRI platform. This includes implementing MR Fingerprinting (MRF), developing multi-shell diffusion sequences in Pulseq, investigating diffusion‑weighted EPI at low field, and comparing the performance of FSE, EPI, and SSFP sequences. You will contribute to open‑source sequence development, documentation, and testing as part of a global, collaborative effort to democratise access to MRI technology. This role offers a rare opportunity to shape the next generation of accessible MRI systems and influence global neuroscience research capacity.

We’d like to hear from you if you:

• Are an enthusiastic and ambitious researcher with expertise in sequence programming, ideally in diffusion MRI, and a strong interest in advancing neuroimaging technology for global health;
• Are excited to contribute to a highly collaborative, international project developing open-source low-field MRI systems for neuroscience research;
• Have research experience in open sequence programming platform such as pulseq.

For informal enquiries please contact Professor Mara Cercignani, CercignaniM@cardiff.ac.uk.

You will work at the vibrant and diverse Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC); a multidisciplinary environment, housing physicists, engineers, neuroscientists, psychologists and clinicians.

This post is full-time (35 hours per week), is fixed term for 27 months and is available from 1st September 2026.

Salary: £41,064 - £46,049 per annum (Grade 6). Appointments to roles at Cardiff University are usually made at bottom of scale unless in exceptional circumstances.

Cardiff University offers many excellent benefits, including 45 days annual leave (incl. bank holidays), local pension scheme, a cycle to work scheme and other travel initiatives, annual increments within the pay scale, and more. It's an exciting and vibrant place to work with many different challenges and is a proud Living Wage supporter.

Closing date: Sunday, 17 May 2026

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We therefore welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at: Responsible research assessment - Research - Cardiff University

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

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