Professor of Genomic Neuroimaging and Artificial Intelligence

We are seeking an accomplished Professor of Genomic Neuroimaging and AI, focused on research into mental health in children and young people.  The holder will have world-leading expertise in the analyses of large neuroimaging and genomic data, using cutting edge machine learning/AI based methods.  This esteemed role resides within our top-tier university, where innovation, dedication, and the pursuit of scientific exploration are part of our foundational ethos. The ideal candidate will have a significant track record in the analyses of large-scale multimodal imaging and genomic data sets covering childhood development.  

Pears Maudsley Centre for Children and Young People 

The IoPPN at King’s College London and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) are working in partnership to create the Pears Maudsley Centre, dedicated to children and young people’s mental health, sitting at the heart of the King’s/SLaM Denmark Hill campus. The PMC is a £90M state-of-the-art hub for mental health research focused on children, adolescents, young adults and their families. The PMC is the home for the King’s Maudsley Partnership for Children and  Young People, an enterprise bringing together scientists and clinicians to address  children and young people’s mental health. The Partnership will deliver rapid, relevant findings on the causes of mental health problems; determining which children are most at risk of developing mental ill health and developing effective strategies on how to prevent mental health problems, and how to stop them from getting worse once they appear. It will build the evidence-base for developing personalised multi-modal treatments with avenues for scalability. It will co-locate researchers and clinicians and provide cutting-edge, child-friendly research facilities alongside those for clinical care. The PMC is the only facility in Europe whose primary focus is on mental disorders and neurodevelopmental conditions affecting CYP. 

Research and Collaboration

Your role includes active involvement in translating research findings from discovery through to healthcare, particularly in childhood psychiatric conditions. This necessitates interdisciplinary collaborations both within and outside the institution to enable high-impact research. A core aim of this research should be building a team that collaborates widely in the analyses of multimodal imaging and genomic data. You will also be responsible for contributing to grant applications, seeking grant funding, and maintaining a consistent record of publication in high-impact scientific journals. You will have a track record in participating and leading in international collaborative efforts. 

Teaching and Mentorship

You will be expected to provide world-class education and training to undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students, with an emphasis on leading on the application of machine learning to high dimensional developmental datasets. Your role will include mentoring budding researchers and contributing to the design of course curricula. 

Qualifications and Experience

The successful candidate must hold a Ph.D. in a computational discipline, ideally aligned to neuroscience.  You will have a proven track record of impactful research and publication in the field. Your portfolio should demonstrate world-leading expertise in neuroimaging, genomics and machine learning. Proven experience in the development of software for the analyses of novel neuroimaging techniques is essential.  Proficiency in handling genomic data and its integration with neuroimaging data is required.  You will have expertise in the analyses of longitudinal data, particularly in large scale childhood datasets. The ability to develop strategies for ‘big data’ storage and management is also desirable. 

This role offers an exceptional opportunity for an experienced and dedicated computational scientist to drive forward the boundaries of knowledge, contribute significantly to the understanding and treatment of childhood disorders, and build a cadre of scientists focused on the application of AI/machine learning approaches to development. We invite interested candidates to apply, demonstrating how their skills, experience, and research ambitions align with this exciting opportunity. 

This post will be offered on a full-time, indefinite contract.

Research and Scholarly Activity:

• Conduct cutting-edge research in the analyses of large-scale neuroimaging and genomic data sets, particularly in childhood disorders.
• Secure research funding through grants and collaborations to support ongoing research projects.
• Publish research findings in reputable peer-reviewed journals and present research at conferences to disseminate knowledge to the scientific community.

Teaching and Curriculum Development:

• Develop and deliver undergraduate and graduate-level courses in cognitive neuroscience, computational neuroscience, neuroimaging, and related topics.
• Mentor and advise graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, guiding them in their research projects and career development.
• Contribute to curriculum development, updating courses to incorporate the latest research findings and emerging technologies in neuroimaging.
• A commitment to enhancing diversity of the academic workforce, and experience in mentoring those form backgrounds underrepresented in science and medicine.

Supervision of Research Projects:

• Supervise and guide postgraduate students and research assistants in their research endeavours, ensuring they receive appropriate training and support.
• Oversee data collection, analysis, and interpretation particularly in the new multimodal imaging suite of the Pears Maudsley Centre (which will include fNIRS, OPM, and EEG), ensuring rigorous scientific methodology.
• Foster a collaborative research environment by promoting teamwork and interdisciplinary research approaches.

Collaboration and Networking:

• Collaborate with other researchers and institutions, both nationally and internationally, to enhance research opportunities and share expertise.
• Establish and maintain connections with industry partners and healthcare institutions to facilitate translational research and applications of neuroimaging techniques.
• Participate in academic and professional organizations to stay updated on the latest developments.

Outreach and Public Engagement:

• Engage in public outreach and education by giving talks, lectures, and workshops to raise awareness of the use of neuroimaging and genomic data in developmental science.
• Communicate research findings and their implications to the public through popular science articles, interviews, and social media.
• Serve as a resource for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and the media to provide expert insights on issues related to child development and the application of machine learning approaches (including an awareness of the ethical issues inherent in AI and ML).

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.

Essential criteria

1.       Doctoral degree in computational discipline, ideally applied to neuroscience. 

2.       Detailed knowledge and a track record of developing new tools for the analyses of multimodal neuroimaging analyses, particularly emerging technologies.

3.       Experience in the analyses of genomic data.

4.       Expertise in machine learning and other AI approaches, particularly as applied to developmental data.

5.       Teaching and mentoring at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

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

Desirable criteria 

1.       Experience of developing scalable tools for cognitive assessment.

2.       Leadership role within a major international collaborative entity.

3.       Experience in working with industrial partner.

4.       Experience of clinical and/or industrial collaboration.

5.      Working as part of a multidisciplinary team and supporting others effectively.