Research Associate: Computational Imaging Informatics

The Role

This new position is a key role in the Informatics and Precision Care for an Ageing Population Theme within the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). Funding of more than £23 million was secured in late 2022 for our fourth successive BRC. This new additional strand which interfaces with other disease-focussed themes.

The principal aim of the Theme is to integrate disparate, complex datasets within and across a range of diseases. We aim to consolidate our established strengths and existing data resources in, for example, single cell genomics, computational imaging and precision medicine while exploring how data from each source can inform and enrich the interpretation of the others.

With this, we seek to gain new insights into patient heterogeneity and clinical phenotypes, identify novel biomarkers and surrogate endpoints, and overcome limitations of individual modalities such as scalability or generalisability, providing clinically meaningful insights for direct patient benefit and realising the promise of precision care. The Theme fully integrates these approaches in two exemplar disease areas (cancer and chronic idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease) while using similar approaches to address questions of precision care in patient populations from other BRC Themes. 

You will play a central role in ensuring our success in projects based on computational imaging and associated AI algorithm development, using both histopathology and radiology imaging data. A key aspect will involve the incorporation of radiology images and clinical data into an existing, early stage, pathfinder project developing a deep learning approach to the classification of lymphoma using digital histopathology image files. This will involve developing pipelines for image transfer, handling and pre-processing, as well as implementing computational approaches to the integration of this multimodal data into a classification model.

You will also be expected to provide support and guidance for other digital imaging projects under development in both the histopathology and radiology domains within the BRC Theme. In these ways, you will both contribute to the delivery of specific projects and help strengthen the framework underpinning computational medical imaging projects in our institutions. 

You will be based in state-of-the-art facilities within both the Faculty of Medical Sciences (Translational and Clinical Research Institute) and Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering (School of Computing) at Newcastle University. Together, the Faculties have a vibrant community of biomedical, medical and computational scientists working together across many of the Faculties’ research themes, interacting closely with medical colleagues at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and other regional Trusts.

Our Innovation Hubs provide advanced methodology and access to the latest research infrastructure and you will have access to excellent computing facilities suitable for digital pathology and radiomics.  

As part of our commitment to career development for research staff, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles.

These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of you at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

This full time, fixed term until 31st March 2028.

Further information by contacting Dr Chris Bacon (chris.bacon@newcastle.ac.uk). 

Advert information