Research Associate - Surgical Vision and AI

About the role

Applicants are invited to apply for a new vacancy at Postdoctoral Research Associate level in Surgical Vision and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for intraoperative Mixed Reality surgical guidance. The post is based within the Hamlyn Centre at Imperial College London and the appointed applicant will carry out research at the South Kensington laboratories and at the Royal Marsden Hospital. The Hamlyn Centre is dedicated to developing safe, effective and accessible imaging, sensing and robotics technologies that can reshape the future of healthcare for both developing and developed countries. The Hamlyn Centre is part of the Institute of Global Health Innovation and is supported by two stake-holding departments, Mechanical Engineering, and Surgery & Cancer.

The postholder will play a pivotal role in the development of an AI-powered Mixed Reality surgical guidance system for clinical validation.

The aim is to de-risk the technology and make it ready for a first in human feasibility trial and follow-on clinical trials.  This technology will enhance surgical accuracy, safety, efficiency, and operative time. It supports precise navigation in complex procedures, lowering risks of injury to critical structures. This could lead to fewer surgical complications, shorter hospital stays, and improved theatre utilization. Initial focus is on breast and melanoma operations, impacting over 70,000 UK patients annually.

However, wider application for other surgical indications and clinical fields is anticipated. To this effect, the role focuses on the integration of the following elements:

• Computer vision for real-time 3D surgical scene reconstruction;
• AI for markerless Hologram registration to the surgical scene.

The post is funded by the NIHR i4i grant “HOLO-AIM: Holographic surgical guidance using Artificial Intelligence and Mixed reality for safer and more efficient Surgery” led by Mr Myles Smith, surgical oncology consultant at the Royal Marsden Hospital and reader at the Institute of Cancer Research.

What you would be doing

Key responsibilities include the development of a platform that integrates Computer Vision and AI for automated, markerless registration of the intraoperative surgical scene with preoperative holographic models. The aim is to de-risk the technology and make it ready for a first in human feasibility trial and follow-on clinical trials.

What we are looking for

We are looking for high calibre applicants with expertise in at least a few from the following areas:

• Programming (C++, Python, etc)
• Machine Learning / AI
• Computer Vision
• Medical Image Analysis

Prior experience in medical applications and medical data processing will be an advantage.

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.
• Grow your career: gain access to Imperial’s sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression.
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days off a year and generous pension schemes).
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

Further information

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), this role is for a fixed-term contract for 12 months based at South Kensington.

If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Kathy Lewis kathy.lewis@imperial.ac.uk

Available documents

• download: Research Associate - SUrgical Vision and AI - Imperial Job Description.pdf
• download: Employee Benefits Booklet.pdf

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