Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Chemistry

About the Role

We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic post-doctoral chemistry researcher to join an exciting multidisciplinary team. This post is supported by an EPSRC 2050 project (see:  https://gow.epsrc.ukri.org/NGBOViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/T020997/1 ). 

The project imagines a world in 2050 where walking through a revolving door or archway allows "invisible light" (light outside our normal visual range) to generate detailed 3D images of any patient with high resolution! This is the global vision and targeted ambition of this 2050 proposal. This will allow us to target very early detection of disease using light (referred to as a non-ionising radiation technology) in association with fast computational methods and artificial intelligence (AI) to reconstruct images. This will be transformative, is a practical reality, and in addition potentially offers unique treatment options for the healthcare needs of 2050. 

These goals will be achieved by simultaneous interdisciplinary advances: 

- Harnessing of world-leading optical physics - with lasers that work at wavelengths of light that are invisible to the naked eye - akin to radio waves but with very different frequencies.  

- Development of novel image restoration tools and new computational optics and imaging that will allow us to access information at depth that was previously hidden without any injection of dyes or causing inconvenience.  

- Validation of the technology on diseases that have huge impacts on quality of life and huge NHS costs, for example osteoarthritis and cancer 

Work on the different elements needed to create this technology platform will be undertaken by investigators at QMUL, Edinburgh and Nottingham and Southampton Universities and the researchers will spend time in each other’s labs and will involve Chemists, Engineers, Computational Scientists, Optical Physicists and Clinician’s and Biomedical Scientists to develop and test/evaluate the technology. 

About You

The successful applicant will have a PhD in chemistry and must have relevant experience in synthesis, purification, characterisation and obtaining optical spectroscopies of polymeric phantoms that mimic human skin and biofilms.  

Candidates must have demonstrated communication skills, a desire to lead, teach and build teamwork in the laboratory, and be able to work independently. We have a keen interest in training the next generation of scientists that can translate research findings into clinically actionable insights. You will also have the opportunity to integrate chemistry research with other thematic foci for PHURI in our multidisciplinary institute

About Queen Mary

At Queen Mary University of London, we believe that a diversity of ideas helps us achieve the previously unthinkable.

We continue to embrace diversity of thought and opinion in everything we do, in the belief that when views collide, disciplines interact, and perspectives intersect, truly original thought takes form.

Benefits

We offer competitive salaries, access to a generous pension scheme, 30 days’ leave per annum (pro-rata for part-time/fixed-term), a season ticket loan scheme and access to a comprehensive range of personal and professional development opportunities. In addition, we offer a range of work life balance and family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, and campus facilities.

Queen Mary’s commitment to our diverse and inclusive community is embedded in our appointments processes. Reasonable adjustments will be made at each stage of the recruitment process for any candidate with a disability. We are open to considering applications from candidates wishing to work flexibly.