This part-time Research Assistant post is funded by the Imperial-ICR Cancer Research UK Convergence Science Centre and is based within the Hamlyn Centre, Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London. The Hamlyn Centre is dedicated to developing safe, effective and accessible imaging, sensing and robotics technologies that can reshape the future of healthcare for both developing and developed countries. The Research Assistant will work in the research group of Dr Alex Thompson to investigate development of novel optical probes for minimally invasive characterisation of breast (and other) tissues during surgery.
The role will involve developing novel fibre-optic sensors based on surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for rapid, intraoperative characterisation of tissue during breast conserving surgery (BCS). Working alongside a Post-Doctoral Research Associate, the Research Assistant will first design, manufacture and characterise novel fibre-optic SERS probes using 2-photon polymerisation (2PP, a microscale 3D printing methodology). Following successful development and characterisation, the Research Assistant will integrate the SERS fibres with robotic scanning systems to investigate signals acquired from ex vivo breast tissue samples. Finally, the Research Assistant will analyse both existing data and new data collected in breast tissues to explore development of diagnostic algorithms based on machine learning for rapid characterisation of breast tissue status.
We are looking for high calibre applicants with expertise in one or more of the following areas of research:
1. Raman spectroscopy
2. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)
3. Plasmonics
4. Optics and photonics (including optical sensor/system development)
5. Fibre-optic sensors
6. 2-photon polymerisation (and other microfabrication techniques)
7. Multivariate data analysis
8. Machine learning (ML) / artificial intelligence (AI)
9. The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.
10. Grow your career: gain access to Imperial’s sector-leading as well as opportunities for promotion and progression.
11. Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days off a year and generous pension schemes).
12. Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various and resources to support your personal and professional .
13. The opportunity to work closely with clinical collaborators at Imperial to produce outputs of wide utility for health economics and surgical practice.
14. The opportunity to develop tools and resources that can be applied across different surgical contexts