Postdoctoral Research Associate in Musculoskeletal MRI

We are recruiting a postdoctoral researcher/Research Associate in Musculoskeletal (MSK) Imaging, with an appropriate level experience in magnetic resonance and signal processing of image data. This is a 12-month fixed-term contract (with potential to extend based on performance) working alongside the medical team at Manchester United Football Club.

The role forms part of a large-scale R&I collaboration between Manchester United FC and Man Met. The post is funded by Manchester United FC and you will be working with professional athletes across the academy and first team levels. You will be using 3T MRI (Canon Galen system) and developing signal processing/data analysis pipelines (MATLAB/Python/C) to deliver an in-depth understanding of joint deformity, alongside muscle function to inform treatment pathways and aid player recovery and longer-term health.

Football is a high-contact, high-energy sport, where professional players have a substantial risk of sustaining injuries, during both matches (36 injuries/1000 hours of exposure) and training (3.7 injuries/1000 hours of exposure). Injuries leave players side-lined with repercussions on talent availability for any given match known to be strongly correlated with team success. Injuries also represent a significant financial burden to football clubs. The use of injury prevention strategies together with contemporary injury rehabilitation strategies including imaging (e.g. MRI) to assess the injury and inform return to play decisions for the clubs is pivotal.

At the elite football level, lower extremity injuries have the highest incidence rates (6.8 injuries/1000 hours of exposure). The most common types of injuries are muscle/tendon (4.6 injuries/1000 hours of exposure), which are frequently associated with traumatic incidents requiring medical intervention and imaging assessment. Furthermore, post career, age-based risk factors for joint injury, osteoarthritis, and cardiovascular disease for football athletes with history of lower extremity joint injury are a reality. Football clubs have a responsibility to ensure the best healthcare during a player's time at the club to minimise this risk.

We are seeking someone motivated who is highly collaborative and who will work well in the team environment to support ongoing work, establish new research studies, and help deliver MSK imaging solutions for this important stakeholder.

About the department:
Our Institute of Sport (where the successful candidate will be based) aims to place us as a global leader in sports research and significant investment provides access to new research laboratories for testing human performance in extreme environmental conditions, human movement in different contexts, as well as clinical imaging for detailed investigations of athletes, patients, and the public. This includes a research only 3T SIEMENS MRI system. These facilities are intended to act as a beacon for research excellence and collaboration with sports and health organisations locally, nationally, and internationally. Our research portfolio is supported with key sector collaborations including this project working with Manchester United Football Club. The club houses dedicated imaging hardware and existing datasets for model training.

Manchester Metropolitan University is a great place to work and Sports Sciences at Manchester Metropolitan University is a vibrant and ambitious department. Indeed, the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences is ranked amongst the UK's top Sports Science departments, and we aim to continue our strong upward trajectory in this regard. More information about our university, department and courses can be found on our dedicated web pages www.mmu.ac.uk/instituteofsport and a video fly-through of the new Institute of Sport can be found here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uj5yZxqP6A&feature=youtu.be.

About the role/ideal candidate:
For this vacancy, we are seeking candidates with experience in Magnetic Resonance Imaging/Spectroscopy and signal processing of image data for MSK applications (e.g. 3D segmentation and registration).

The following criteria are essential:

• A PhD in physical sciences (or a related discipline), or thesis already submitted.
• A record of publishing high-quality, original research in peer reviewed journals.
• Experience of coordinating projects, including liaising with study participants, organising assessment sessions, collecting the data, analysing the data and preparing detailed reports.

Evidence of previous software development for image analysis would be desirable.

To apply:
If you would like to join our people and share our ambition, we would love to hear from you.

Please submit your CV and a Cover Letter outlining your suitability to the role.

For informal enquiries contact Dr Aneurin J Kennerley, Reader (a.kennerley@mmu.ac.uk).

Interview for this post are provisionally scheduled to take place week commencing 28th April 2025.

Manchester Metropolitan University is committed to supporting the rights, responsibilities, dignity, health and wellbeing of staff and students through our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

We promote applications from all sections of the community, irrespective of background, belief or identity, recognising the benefits that a diverse organisation can bring. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minority Ethnic candidates, who we recognise are underrepresented in this area.

We recognise the benefits and importance of an environment that supports flexible working and are open to conversations about this throughout the application process.