Postdoctoral Training Fellow - AI & Precision Oncology

Under the guidance of Professor Chris Bakal, we are seeking to recruit a Postdoctoral Training Fellow to contribute to the ambitious SMPaeds2 (Stratified Medicine Paediatrics 2) programme. This role is part of a flagship £5.5 million national initiative designed to revolutionise treatment for children and young people with relapsed cancer.

The purpose of this role is to pioneer the next generation of patient stratification in neuroblastoma. You will build multimodal AI models that integrate SMPaeds2’s unique clinical datasets, spanning high-content histological imaging, genomic sequencing, and blood biomarkers, to predict which patient subtypes will benefit from novel therapies. Thus directly bridging the gap between computational discovery and clinical trial assignment.

About you The successful candidate must have:

• A PhD in Computer Science, Computational Biology, Physics, or a related quantitative discipline.

• Strong expertise in Computer Vision and Deep Learning, with proficiency in Python and frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.

• Experience in Multimodal Data Fusion, specifically linking unstructured data (images) with structured/sparse data (genomics, clinical outcomes).

• A proven track record of applying machine learning to biological questions, ideally within oncology or developmental biology.

• The ability to work independently within a multidisciplinary team of biologists, clinicians, and the wider SMPaeds2 network.

Candidates who are nearing completion of their PhD may apply, but confirmation on awarded PhD is required within 6 months of employment.

The ICR has a workforce agreement stating that Postdoctoral Training Fellows can only be employed for up to 7 years as PDTF at the ICR, providing total postdoctoral experience (including previous employment at this level elsewhere) does not exceed 7 years.

For general information on Postdocs at The ICR, more information can be found here.

Department/Directorate Information

You will join the Dynamical Cell Systems Laboratory within the Division of Cell and Molecular Biology. Our lab sits at the interface of cell biology, physics, and artificial intelligence; focusing on how dynamic cell states drive cancer.

This position is embedded within the SMPaeds2 programme, a collaborative network funded by Cancer Research UK and Children with Cancer UK. As an SMPaeds2 Fellow, you will not only have access to our lab’s state-of-the-art high-content imaging facilities but also to the rich, longitudinal clinical data generated by this national platform. This is a unique opportunity to work at the cutting edge of stratified medicine, ensuring that relapsed patients are matched to the right molecularly-targeted interventions.

What we offer

• A dynamic and supportive research environment

• Access to state-of-the-art facilities and professional development opportunities

• Collaboration with leading researchers in the field

• Competitive salary and pension

We encourage all applicants to access the job pack attached for more detailed information regarding this role. For an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact Professor Chris Bakal via Email on [email protected].