Job description

The post holder will join a multidisciplinary team working to develop novel technologies for low field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with the overarching objective of reducing costs and improving access to this now essential imaging modality. 

MRI usually requires high performance hardware that is engineered to meet strict requirements, such as highly uniform magnetic fields and perfectly linear field gradients that respond linearly through time. These systems typically use expensive hardware controlled by relatively simple systems; the high cost ultimately leads to high scan costs and restricted availability for patients.

This project seeks to change the paradigm for next generation MRI technology. The post holder will develop modelling methods to predict image degradation resulting from lower-specification hardware, and then use these models to design adaptive control methods that are able to obtain similar results to existing MRI systems using cheaper and less ideal hardware. The post would suit candidates with interests in MRI phyiscs and engineering, as well as control systems design, potentially employing artificial intelligence.

This project is part of the centre for medical engineering (https://medicalengineering.org.uk/ ) within the School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences based at St Thomas’ Hospital (https://www.kcl.ac.uk/bmeis/about-us/about-us). The School is home to a large community of researchers working to improve healthcare through the use of advanced engineering, includes an active program of research and development of MRI. Our close partnerships with industry and St. Thomas’ Hospital allow us to deliver ground breaking translational impact.   

Key responsibilities

• Development of MRI simulator for ‘low performance’ MR hardware.  
• Development of imaging methods that employ knowledge of sub-optimal hardware performance to obtain high quality MRI data
• Development of an experimental test capability to be retrofitted to MRI scanner 
• Contribute to the development and delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in the department 
• Attend and present (as appropriate) research findings and papers at internal and external academic meetings, seminars and conferences and to contribute to the internal and external visibility of the Department.
• Contribute to the production of research reports and publications. 

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post. 

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria 

• PhD awarded (or near completion) in Engineering, Physics, Computer Sciences or similar 

• Experience in scientific computing including knowledge of MATLAB, Python, C++ or similar  

• Knowledge of MRI physics/engineering or related field 

• Knowledge of AI or control systems engineering 

• Presenting scientific research in the form of papers, posters and oral presentations 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills 

Desirable criteria 

• Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary research team, relying on and supporting others effectively 

• Strong MRI hardware/engineering background  

• Strong background in AI/Machine Learning and/or control systems engineering 

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging pulse sequence development (Siemens environment preferred) 

Contact 

Dr Shaihan Malik (email shaihan.malik@kcl.ac.uk)   

This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service and Occupational Health clearance