Senior Research Associate in Kernel Methods for Distributional Learning and Testing (Fixed Term)

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 30 September 2026.

Role Summary

We seek to appoint an independent researcher to develop and drive a research program at the intersection of the fields of kernel methods, hypothesis testing, robustness and privacy. This position will contribute to the research programme "Advancing Modern Data-Driven Robust AI", which is funded by UKRI through a Turing AI World-Leading Fellowship led by co-investigators Prof Zoubin Ghahramani (Department of Engineering) and Dr Ferenc Huszár (Department of Computer Science and Technology). The research program will be conducted in collaboration with Prof Arthur Gretton from the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit.

The programme's goal is to understand and improve modern machine learning methods primarily by casting them in a probabilistic, information theoretic, causal inference framework. More specifically, the programme is focussed on four areas: (1) Robustness; (2) Integrating symbolic and statistical frameworks; (3) Scalable probabilistic inference methods and (4) A Theory of Generalisation and Transfer Learning. For this position, preference will be to select applicants with expertise on kernel hypothesis testing, ideally with a focus on robustness and privacy.

This RA/SRA will be jointly based at the Department of Computer Science and Technology at Cambridge, and at the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit in London. The RA/SRA will work primarily with Dr Ferenc Huszár (Computer Laboratory) in collaboration with Prof Zoubin Ghahramani (Engineering Department), and with Prof Arthur Gretton at the Gatsby Unit.

Team and Environment

This position will involve collaboration across two universities: the University of Cambridge, and University College London. The SRA will be based with the ML@CL (Machine Learning at the Computer Lab) group which includes Prof Neil Lawrence, Dr Carl Henrik and Dr Ferenc Huszár as well as several other research fellows and students. The research program will be co-supervised at the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, with faculty comprising Prof Maneesh Sahani, Prof Peter Latham, Prof Peter Orbanz, Dr Andrew Saxe, Dr Agostina Palmigiano, Dr Leena Chennuru Vankadara and Prof Arthur Gretton. It is expected that the SRA will spend a significant amount of time at the Gatsby Unit, to enable research collaboration.

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Ferenc Huszár: fh277@cam.ac.uk.

For further information please click the 'Apply' button above. 

You will need to upload a full curriculum vitae (CV) and a 2-page research proposal, and to include the contact details for 3 referees. The research proposal should briefly cover relevant past experience and should propose at least one new project in depth fitting the theme of this position. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Please note that we provide the support of applying for the relevant visa (if required) and we reimburse the cost of the first visa.

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