Research Fellow in Optics and Photonics

Be part of something bigger.

Doing things differently.

Fixed term contract for 23 months 

Applications are invited for the post of Research Fellow in Optics and Photonics, to work in the Department of Engineering, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University.

The role is funded by a Wellcome Discovery Award from Wellcome Trust. The overall aim of the award is to understand how interactions between maternal supply, placental function, and fetal demand affect support of the fetus near term. This is a highly interdisciplinary project involving obstetricians, engineers, physicists, mathematicians and computer scientists from both Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and the University of Nottingham (UoN).

The successful candidate will contribute to a work package focused on the development of a wearable sensing device for monitoring critical fetal and maternal parameters. The project will involve the development and optimisation of a prototype pregnancy activity monitor based on optical fibre sensing technology. You will refine and optimise a bespoke characterisation system, fabricate optical fibre sensors and evaluate their performance. You will also apply digital signal processing techniques and machine learning algorithms to analyse and interpret the acquired data.

The successful candidate will work primarily with Dr Qimei Zhang in the Department of Engineering at the Nottingham Trent University. The candidate will also work closely with collaborators at the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre and the Optics and Photonics Group at the University of Nottingham, as well as clinical collaborators at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham.

Interviews; w/c 12th October 2026.

About Us

The School of Science and Technology at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is an exciting multidisciplinary environment for learning, teaching and research, with some of the best facilities in the UK.

We pride ourselves on delivering high-quality teaching and diverse, real-world research. We specialise in biosciences, chemistry, computing and technology, as well as engineering, forensic science, mathematics, physics and sport science. This mix of traditional and modern subjects encourages and inspires future innovators.

In the Department of Engineering we deliver research and teaching in electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering and sport engineering. We are building a global reputation in areas including human performance and human factors, future materials, biomedical engineering, and robotics. We are working with industrial partners in technology, automotive, aircraft, marine, healthcare engineering, and with sports teams to help them beat world records.

For any informal queries about the role or the team, please contact Dr Qimei Zhang (Senior Lecturer in the Department of Engineering) at qimei.zhang@ntu.ac.uk. 

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