Research Associate (Fixed Term)

The University of Cambridge Department of Radiology, under the leadership of Professor Fiona Gilbert, has a well-established track record in breast cancer imaging. As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly prominent in this field, its adoption into clinical practice depends on rigorous evidence from both retrospective and prospective studies.

Our group is working on a suite of research within breast cancer screening and we're seeking a highly motivated individual with a broad skillset for this role as a key team member in driving projects forwards. The role will span from curating dataset for use in retrospective evaluation of AI tools to supporting large, prospective clinical trials in which these tools are being deployed.

We have created a large imaging dataset of screening mammograms, CC-MEDIA. It comprises over 250,000 screening mammograms with robust clinical metadata. It is currently being used to evaluate commercial AI tools for cancer detection and for predicting cancers that may develop within 3-5 years following a negative mammogram. This role provides scope not only to support these evaluations but also to develop and test your own models.

The role will also see the expansion of CC-MEDIA, collecting and curating screening data from sites using mammography equipment from different vendors. This is for use in a vital step of the EDITH trial (Early Detection using Information technology in Health) where we are responsible for benchmarking algorithms hoping to enter the study. The EDITH trial will recruit 660,000 women from screening centres across the UK and their mammograms will be collected by the Cambridge site to facilitate comparison testing of AI tools at the end of recruitment. A successful candidate will be comfortable working with large medical datasets and data processing pipelines.

The successful applicant will be part of the Department of Radiology with close links to Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. They will join a well-established enthusiastic and collaborative group.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a collaborative, enthusiastic, and high-impact research team, with close links to Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click 'Apply' above.

Applicants must have (or be close to obtaining) a PhD.

Appointment at Research Associate level is dependent on having a PhD. Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will initially be appointed as a Research Assistant (Grade 5, Point 38 £34,132) moving to Research Associate (Grade 7) upon confirmation of your PhD award.

Please ensure that you upload a covering letter and CV in the Upload section of the online application. The covering letter should outline how you match the criteria for the post and why you are applying for this role. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

Please include details of your referees, including email address and phone number, one of which must be your most recent line manager. 

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.