Postdoctoral Research Associate in AI-Driven Retinal Home Monitoring

The University

At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.

Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University.

Further information about the University can be found here.

The Department

The Department of Engineering consistently stands as one of the foremost engineering departments in the UK, renowned for its exceptional performance in teaching, research, and the successful career paths of its students. Its impressive achievements include an 5th rank in the Complete University Guide 2023, 5th in the Guardian University Guide 2023, and 7th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 for General Engineering in the UK. The Department also secured a position within the top six UK departments in the REF 2021 assessment, with an outstanding publication rating of 4* and 3*.

This vibrant Department offers an outstanding work environment and is committed to growth, aiming for an expansion of over 50% in the next five years. The growth plan entails a substantial boost in the research challenge portfolio and a dedicated effort to enhance undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and postgraduate research programs. Joining this thriving Department at present offers an exciting opportunity to contribute significantly.

The Department proudly holds an Athena SWAN Bronze Award, a testament to its dedication to promoting diversity in STEM academics and fostering a nurturing and encouraging atmosphere.

The individual in this position will receive guidance and oversight from Dr Raheleh Kafieh. They will also engage in collaborative efforts with fellow academics involved in the project. This role involves active participation and interaction with colleagues and both within and outside the Department. The individual taking up this position will become a part of the Bioengineering Research Node, which is housed within the Department of Engineering. The individual is also expected to spend a few months on secondment at the Siloton company at Bristol under the guidance of Dr Euan J. Allen.

The Role

We invite applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to engage in cutting-edge research applying AI/machine learning in biomedical image analysis, specifically utilising deep learning to create AI-based software solutions supporting the home-based Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) device. The development of the home scanner is in collaboration with our industrial partner, Siloton, who will provide direction and guidance on software implementation requirements and assist in demonstrating the technology on real devices.

The successful candidate will be responsible for key tasks such as utilising classification and segmentation models to understand hardware requirements for monitoring Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and designing and developing software to enhance the monitoring capabilities of home devices for macular disease.

The Postdoctoral Research Associate is expected to actively participate in regular project meetings, present and discuss results, guide research direction and decisions, and contribute to publications and conference presentations. Additionally, they may be involved in supervising Masters and doctoral students working on related projects within the team.

Responsibilities:

• To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that lead to the presentation of research papers in conferences and publications.
• To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include: research sponsors, academics and non-academic audiences.
• To publish high-quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer-reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
• To assist with the development of research objectives and proposals.
• To conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.
• To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio.
• To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions.
• To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration.
• To plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects.
• To deliver training in research techniques/approaches to peers, visitors and students as appropriate.
• To be involved in student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students.
• To contribute to fostering a collegial and respectful working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.
• To engage in wider citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.
• To engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses.

This post is fixed term for 12 months due to the funding available. The project timeline is limited and will end by December 2025.

The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.

Further information about the role and the responsibilities is at the bottom of this job description.

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:

• 30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 42 days per year.
• The University closes between Christmas and New Year.
• We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
• No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.
• There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
• Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
• On site nursery is available and access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16 throughout the year.
• Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
• The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community
• Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.
• A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.
• If you are moving to Durham, we can help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.

As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University's Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct, At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It's important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.
What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification

When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered.

Your application should cover the following criteria:

Essential Criteria

Qualifications

1. A PhD (or close to submission) in Bioengineering, Optics, Medical Physics, Machine Learning or closely related fields.

Experience

2. Demonstrate ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills.

3. Experience in the application of machine learning for biomedical image analysis.

4. High level of analytical and problem-solving capability.

5. Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others.

6. Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly ranked journals.

7. Demonstrable ability to present research papers at international conferences and communicate complex information to specialists and within the wider academic community.

Skills

8. High level programming skills in several languages, including python.

9. Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.

10. Ability to work independently on own initiative and to strict deadlines.

11. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Desirable Criteria

12. Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals, commensurate with stage of career.

13. Demonstrable ability to develop research proposals and designs in collaboration with other academics.

14. Expertise with retinal OCT image analysis.

15. Experience with transfer learning.

16. Experience with retinal imaging using optical coherence tomography.

How to Apply

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. Please don't forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above).

While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.

Submitting your application

We prefer to receive applications online.We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from oure-recruitmentsystem. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.

What you need to submit

All applicants are asked to submit:

1. A CV and;

2. A 2-page cover letter which details your experience, skills, and achievements in meeting (or the potential to meet) the criteria set out below and;

3. Upload relevant article of yours that you believe aligns well with the requirements of the job.

Contact details

Department Contact for academic-related enquiries: Department of Engineering, Dr Raheleh Kafieh, Raheleh.kafieh@durham.ac.uk

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.