(Senior) Group Leaders – Computational Biology and AI

Group Leader Salary range: £61,944 – £81,508* per annum (dependent upon experience)

Senior Group Leader Salary range: £80,000 – £130,000* per annum (dependent upon experience)
*For clinically qualified candidates, salary is dependent upon experience and clinical duties (not expected to exceed the equivalent of one clinic day per week).

Join the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute

The Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute (CRUK MI) is seeking exceptional early-career and senior scientists, including clinician scientists, to establish bold, innovative and internationally leading research programmes as independent Group Leaders in Computational Biology and Artificial Intelligence.

Situated within one of Europe's largest and most dynamic cancer research ecosystems, successful candidates will join an outstanding collaborative environment spanning the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, the Manchester Cancer Research Centre (MCRC), The University of Manchester, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, and Manchester's rapidly expanding AI research community.

This unique environment combines world-leading cancer biology, clinical research, computational science and artificial intelligence within a highly integrated ecosystem designed to accelerate discovery and translation. We are seeking exceptional scientists who wish to leverage recent advances in machine learning, artificial intelligence and computational biology to transform our understanding of cancer and develop new approaches to diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and patient stratification.

Successful candidates will join a vibrant computational research community and benefit from close interactions with major University of Manchester initiatives including:

• ELLIS Unit Manchester
• Centre for AI Fundamentals
• Christabel Pankhurst Institute

Together, these provide exceptional opportunities for collaboration across machine learning, foundation models, multimodal AI, trustworthy AI, biomedical data science and translational applications of artificial intelligence.

About you

We are particularly interested in candidates developing novel computational and machine learning methodologies with applications to cancer biology and medicine. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Machine learning and artificial intelligence for cancer research.
• Foundation models and large-scale biological learning systems.
• Single-cell and spatial multi-omics analysis.
• Computational genomics and epigenomics.
• AI-enabled pathology and medical imaging.
• Cancer evolution and tumour ecosystem modelling.
• Systems biology and network-based approaches especially in immunology
• Clinical data science and real-world evidence.
• Multimodal integration of biological and clinical datasets.

We welcome ambitious and visionary research programmes that combine methodological innovation with transformative applications in cancer biology and cancer medicine.

What We Offer

Core funding is provided to every Group Leader while they hold their position at the Institute.

As a Group Leader, you will receive a substantial package of support, including:

• Funding for two postdoctoral scientists, one technician and two PhD students, together with associated research running costs.
• Dedicated laboratory and computational research space within the Paterson Cancer Research Building.
• Access to comprehensive state-of-the-art scientific technology platforms and core facilities.
• Access to high-performance computing, advanced data science infrastructure and large-scale biomedical datasets.
• Access to the Manchester Cancer Research Centre Biobank and associated translational research resources drawing on patient samples from NHS Trusts across Greater Manchester, including The Christie.
• Outstanding opportunities for collaboration across CRUK MI, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester.
• Expert mentorship and support for career development and scientific leadership.
• Dedicated grant development and review support.
• Research governance, integrity and regulatory support through experienced professional teams.
• A highly collaborative environment built around multidisciplinary research and team science.

This substantial package enables researchers to focus on ambitious and innovative science from day one while benefiting from Cancer Research UK's long-term investment in Manchester's cancer research ecosystem.

Applications should include:

• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae including publication list
• Future Research Plan (maximum three pages)
• Summary of up to three key publications (maximum one page)
• Contact details for three referees

Informal enquiries are welcomed and may be addressed to any of the Institute's Group Leaders or the Director: director@cruk.manchester.ac.uk

Closing Date: Sunday 2 August 2026

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute is committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds and communities and encourage applications from candidates who reflect diversity in its broadest sense. All appointments are made on merit.