PDRA in Medical Imaging AI Brain Metastasis

PDRA in Medical Imaging AI for Brain Metastasis School of Engineering & Physical Sciences

Location: Lincoln
Salary: From £38,784per annum
Closing Date: Sunday 27 September 2026
Interview Date: Friday 16 October 2026
Reference: CHS
359

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Medical Imaging AI for Brain Metastasis

We are seeking an ambitious and collaborative Postdoctoral Research Associate to join a new EPSRC Health Technologies Connectivity Award led by Dr Wenting Duan at the University of Lincoln. The project focuses on developing clinically grounded AI for brain metastasis imaging in close collaboration with Professor Dorothee Auer and Dr Stefanie Thust, alongside clinical and imaging researchers at the University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.

This is an exciting opportunity for a talented early-career researcher to help shape a focused and growing research programme at the interface of artificial intelligence, medical image analysis, and clinical neuro-oncology. The project is motivated by real clinical challenges in brain metastasis imaging, including small and difficult-to-detect lesions, variation in MRI protocols across hospitals, lesion heterogeneity, and the need for robust and clinically meaningful methods that can translate beyond narrow benchmark settings.

The successful candidate will work closely with the Project Lead and partner clinical collaborators to develop and evaluate AI methods for brain metastasis detection and analysis using public and partner imaging datasets. Depending on expertise and project needs, this may include work on lesion detection and segmentation, multimodal analysis, model robustness and generalisation, morphology-aware analysis, and clinically informed evaluation. The role will also involve dissemination through high-quality publications and conferences, engagement with external stakeholders, and contribution to the development of future translational funding opportunities.

A distinctive feature of this post is the opportunity to work within a strongly interdisciplinary setting. The project is designed not only around technical AI development, but also around engagement with clinical workflow, imaging practice, and real translational constraints. The postholder will benefit from research visits to collaborators, access to computing support and research equipment, conference participation, and immersion in a collaborative clinical research environment.

Applicants should have, or defended the viva of, a PhD in computer science, artificial intelligence, medical image analysis, biomedical engineering, or a closely related discipline. We are particularly interested in candidates with a strong technical background in medical image computing, machine learning, computer vision, or multimodal AI, together with excellent programming and communication skills. Experience in areas such as lesion detection or segmentation, domain generalisation, robust evaluation, clinically motivated AI, or imaging biomarker analysis would be especially valuable.

Evidence of research potential through publications, software, or other high-quality outputs is essential.

We particularly welcome applicants who are excited by interdisciplinary research, motivated by clinically relevant problems, and keen to work in close partnership with imaging and clinical collaborators. The role would suit a candidate who wants to combine methodological strength with real-world research impact and who is ready to contribute actively to a developing research direction with significant future potential.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years.

Start date: 01/03/2027

For more information about the position, please contact Dr Wenting Duan ( ).

We strive for a diverse workforce with the very best employees and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. The University encourages applications from underrepresented groups inclusive of Black, Asian and other minoritised/marginalised ethnic groups, all gender identities and expressions from the LGBTQIA+ community, candidates with a disability, and those that practise different faiths and beliefs, to enhance our One Community where we strive to be kind, patient, and supportive of each other.

Please note:

If you think you may require a visa to work in the UK, please refer to UK Visas and Immigration or UK Visas – Information for Prospective Staff before embarking upon an application, to ensure that you understand the requirements for sponsorship. You may be eligible to work in the UK via other alternative visa routes such as the Global Talent Visa or by having Settlement / ILR;

please refer to the UK Visas pages above for further details.