Postdoctoral Project Research Scientist

Job Title: Postdoctoral Project Research Scientist (PPRS)

Details of the role: 2yr FTC, full-time. Working pattern: Monday – Friday.

Salary: From £45,500 pa with benefits, subject to skills and experience

Application closing date: 25/06/25 23:59 GMT

About us…

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions.

The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to collaborate and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

About the role…

The Miguel-Aliaga lab seek to understand how organs sense and react to their environment to maintain or change our physiology. To this end, they focus on the study of the intestinal tract; certain diets, microbes or internal states can cause it to grow or shrink. Current projects explore this plasticity across scales.

Following previous work on the role that the shape of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract plays in health and disease in the fruit fly, we are now working on extending this work into analysis of human GI tract shape. We have adapted our methods to analyse GI tract shape in abdominal MRI scans and now wish to scale this up to a larger dataset. We have an approved project to work with the data of the UK Biobank – a large-scale biomedical database of volunteers from across the UK. This includes genetic data and whole-body MRI scans for 100,000 participants. We aim to investigate whether in humans, there is an underlying logic to GI tract shape and 3D organ arrangement which might vary in males and females, post-pregnancy and in disease such as Crohn’s disease.

We are looking for an ambitious and experienced image analyst for this computational post to develop AI-based image analysis methods to extract GI tract shape data from whole-body MRI scans.

To learn more about team/Group Leader and projects currently being undertaken here.

What you will be doing…

As a PPRS at the Crick, you will be:

• Developing image analysis tools for analysis of GI tract shape and volume from MRI scans
• Developing a neural network for the automation of segmentation of the GI tract from UK Biobank whole-body MRI scans
• Liaising with other lab members and collaborators to link analysis of GI tract shape features with other phenotype data and genetics in the UK Biobank
• Contributing to the preparation of scientific manuscripts, reports and presentations

About you…

The essential criteria you will bring…

• PhD in Developmental Biology, Cell Biology, Computational Biology or in the final stages of PhD submission
• Strong level of competence and experience of the use of deep learning for image analysis in large datasets, particularly image segmentation
• Strong level of competence in writing macros for ImageJ/FIJI and use of other languages such as R and Python for image analysis
• Experience of working with large 3D datasets such as MRI scans or microCT scans
• Experience of image segmentation
• Track record of writing papers as evidenced by publications or submitted manuscripts in refereed journals
• Evidence of data presentation at scientific meetings

To see the complete job description, click here.

About Working at the Crick…

Our values

Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick’s mission and shaping our culture!

• We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently.
• We are open. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world.
• We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community.

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences. We are a Disability Confident: Committed employer and you will be asked as part of the process if you wish to apply under the scheme. We will make reasonable adjustments if you need them. If you need assistance with applying (i.e., would like to apply by phone or post) please email: [email protected]

Please note interviews will take place from 02/07/25.

To find out more about life at the Crick click here.

What will you receive?

At the Francis Crick Institute, we value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well-being and development:

• Visas: Applicants for this role will be eligible for sponsorship to work in the UK
• Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays.
• Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%.
• Health & Well-being:
• 24/7 GP consultation services.
• Occupational health services and mental health support programs.
• Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans.
• Work-Life Balance:
• Back-up care for dependents.
• Childcare support allowance.
• Annual leave purchase options.
• Crick Networks offering diverse groups’ support, community and inclusive social events.
• Perks:
• Discounted gym memberships, bike-to-work scheme, and shopping discounts.
• Subsidised on-site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.
• Development & Recognition: Comprehensive training, mentoring, and a pay structure based on skills and experience.