Post-doctoral Research Associate in Preclinical Liver MRI

European Commission; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 44,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university in the UK is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to work on innovative MRI techniques for liver imaging. The role involves collaboration with experts, access to cutting-edge facilities, and a focus on cancer research. Ideal candidates will have a PhD in a relevant field and strong analytical skills.

Qualifications

• PhD in relevant field or pending results.
• Experience with preclinical MRI and mathematical modelling.
• Strong analytical and programming skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop advanced preclinical MRI techniques for liver imaging.
• Implement MRI sequences and analyze data.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams.

Skills

MRI theory

Data acquisition and analysis

Mathematical modelling

Programming (MATLAB, Python)

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Education

PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Medical Physics, or Medical Imaging

Job description

Organisation/Company KINGS COLLEGE LONDON Research Field Biological sciences Medical sciences Physics Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Established Researcher (R3) Country United Kingdom Application Deadline 1 Jun 2025 - 00:00 (UTC) Type of Contract Other Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

About Us

The post will be based at St Thomas’ Hospital in central London in the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences at King’s College London,https://www.kcl.ac.uk/bmeis , working in close collaboration with researchers at the James Black Centre in the Denmark Hill Campus, where the experimental work will take place. There is a unique infrastructure to support cutting-edge translational healthcare research, including a suite of clinical MRI scanners located in a hospital environment (0.55T, 1.5T, 3T and 7T), a 9.4T preclinical MRI scanner, access to a specialized Liver Biobank, state-of-the-art laboratories, high-performance computing, and industry collaboration through the London Institute for Healthcare Engineering.

About the role

We are looking for a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to join Dr Andrada Ianus at the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King’s College London, working in close collaboration with Dr. Po-Wah So at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience. You will join a dynamic multi-disciplinary team with access to cutting-edge imaging facilities and world-renowned expertise. You will work on an ERC Starting Grant funded project to deliver novel MRI approaches to image the liver and enable the detection and characterisation of micrometastases.

The overarching aim of this project is to enable the detection and mapping of liver micrometastases development in cancer, based on a novel MRI approach which combines multi-dimensional diffusion-relaxometry acquisitions, efficient data denoising and biophysical modelling of the tissue microstructure.

In this position, you will work on developing advanced preclinical MRI techniques and you will employ them for 1) in-vivo mouse liver imaging, both for normal controls and in models of liver metastases and 2) ex-vivo MRI of human liver tissue specimens. You will be responsible for the sequence implementation, data acquisition and analysis, including biophysical models of liver tissue, as well as liaising with the Liver Biobank at King's College Hospital in the Denmark Hill for the work related to tissue samples. The experimental part of this work will be based at the James Black Centre in the Denmark Hill Campus.

The applicant should have a PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Medical Physics, Medical Imaging, or a related area (or pending results). They should have good analytical and programming skills, in depth knowledge of MR theory, and experience with the acquisition and analysis of (preclinical) MRI data, as well as with mathematical modelling and image processing methods.

Experience with preclinical rodent MRI, methods used for quantitative MRI, and/or pulse sequence programming are a plus. Ideally, applicants will have a proven research track record through peer review publications and conference presentations. They will also have excellent communication, organisational and time management skills and a creative approach to problem solving, together with the ability to work constructively and effectively within the team.

This is a full-time post (35 Hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract for 3 years.

About You

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

• Hold a PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Medical Physics, Medical Imaging or related discipline*
• Excellent working knowledge of MRI theory, data acquisition and analysis
• Good working knowledge of mathematical modelling
• Practical experience within a research environment and / or publication in relevant and refereed journals
• Proficiency in MATLAB, Python, or other relevant programming languages
• Motivation to work with animal models
• Self-motivated, ability to work independentlyand in a team, willingness to conduct out-of-working hours data acquisitions when needed
• Ability to communicate well, critically assess research findings, to present at conferences and represent the team in meetings

* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.

• Relevant practical experience with in-vivo preclinical MRI of rodents
• Experience implementing MRI sequences on (pre)clinical scanners
• Work experience in a multi-disciplinary environment
• Experience with animal procedures, knowledge of animal research ethical principles and methods

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click “Apply Now”. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit ’ pages.

Interviews are due to be held in May 2025.

We are able to offer sponsorship for candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK.

This post is subject to Occupational Health clearances.

Grade and Salary:£44,355 - £51,735 per annum including London Weighing Allowance

Job ID:113707

Close Date:01-Jun-2025

Contact Person:Andrada Ianus

Contact Details:[e-mail]