IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title:
Faculty:
Department:
Job Family
Salary:
Contract:
Responsible to:
Research Associate
Engineering
Department of Computing
Research and Education, Level B
£24,570 - £35,800
Fixed term contract
Professor Guang-Zhong Yang
Key working relationships:
Members of Department of Computing and Institute of Biomedical
Engineering also in collaboration with Royal Brompton MRI Unit.
Location:
The work will be carried out in the Department of Computing at
Imperial College London at South Kensington Campus.
Summary of Research Project
With increasing sophistication of wearable and implantable medical devices and their
integration with wireless sensors, ever-expanding ranges of therapeutic and diagnostic
applications are being pursued by research and commercial organisations. These new
miniaturised wireless devices include, for example, context aware implanted
pacemakers and cardiac defibrillators, wirelessly controlled valves in the urinary tract
operating on-demand by the patients for restoring bladder control, and integrated drugdelivering therapeutic systems such as those used for fast-acting insulin in diabetics. For
these devices, the wireless data-path used to interrogate and communicate with the
implants represents one of the most significant research challenges in overall system
design due to its significant power consumption and complex characteristics within the
human body. While wireless communication through the air has been extensively
studied, communication from implanted devices through the human body is a new area
of study. The objective of this project is to create a new imaging based subject-specific
RF simulation environment for wearable and implantable wireless Body Sensor
Networks (BSNs). It brings together a multi-disciplinary team from Imperial College
London (ICL) and Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL) with expertise in medical
imaging, BSN, electromagnetic modelling, antennas and radio propagation.
The Purpose of the Post
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To create a high quality whole-body iRFSim reference database that
incorporates dynamic tissue deformation, cardiac and respiratory motion,
body articulation and posture changes;
To develop an efficient segmentation and registration scheme for the data
acquired and construct a dynamic, statistical atlas for the normal subjects
studied;
To investigate an efficient motion modelling scheme based on topological
structure and shape warping for inter- and intra-subject iRFSim simulations;
To validate the subject specific models using in/on-body propagation
measurement with different antenna and phantom configurations and
investigate radio propagation issues for wireless implants to tackle the tradeoffs between accessibility of sensory signals and radio ranges.
Key Responsibilities:
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Plan and carry out research in accordance with the project aims and timeframes, in
collaboration with members of the Department of computing, Institute of Biomedical
Engineering Imperial College London, QMUL and Royal Brompton Hospital MRI Unit
Maintain accurate and complete records of all research, development and findings
Contribute to the writing of research reports and papers
Disseminate results through publications and present findings at research meetings
and conferences
Develop scientific background, specialist knowledge and scientific contacts
Collaborate with and provide assistance and guidance to students at all levels, but
not as a main activity
Provide advice and guidance to other members of the departments, when necessary
In addition to research, assist with teaching duties and the supervision of
undergraduate and MSc projects, as required
To comply with relevant College policies, including Financial Regulations, Equal
Opportunities Policy, Promoting Race Equality Policy, Health and Safety Policy,
Information Systems Security Policy and Intellectual Property Rights and Register of
Interests Policies.
All research staff may be expected to undertake certain teaching duties without
additional payment, subject to any limitations prescribed by the terms of the grant or
contract under with they are employed.
Job descriptions cannot be exhaustive and the post-holder may be required to
undertake other duties, which will further the work of the department and are
broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.
Imperial College is committed to equality of opportunity and of eliminating discrimination.
All employees are expected to adhere to the principles set out in its Equal Opportunities
in Employment Policy, Promoting Race Equality Policy and Disability Policy and all other
relevant guidance/practice frameworks.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Education and Qualifications
Essential
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Physical science, computing or engineering background, with a PhD in any related
discipline
Knowledge and Experience:
Essential
Relevant experience and a record of achievement in a relevant research field, such as:
 Medical image computing, particularly in 3D motion and shape modelling;
 Or biomechanical modelling, particularly from subject specific imaging data;
 Or electromagnetic modelling and in vivo RF propagation
 Body sensor networks
 Multi-modal image registration
 In-depth knowledge of C/C++, OpenGL and biomechanical modelling software
such as ANSYS
 Experiences in managing large software development projects
Competencies, Skills and Abilities
Essential
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High level of analytical capability
High level of computing capability
Project management skills and the ability to meet project deadlines
Ability to prioritise jobs and organise work effectively to meet deadlines
Ability to communicate complex information clearly and succinctly
Ability to communicate with scientists and researchers from a variety of
disciplines
Ability to manage own area effectively using compliance with health and safety
policy and College procedures
Ability to encourage a research culture in others
APPLICATION GUIDANCE
Please read the person specification carefully and describe, as part of your application,
how much you feel you meet each of the criteria. If you need more space, please attach
additional sheets to the application form.
The recruitment monitoring form should also be completed and will be detached from
your application before short-listing takes place. This will be used for monitoring and
audit purposes as a basis for supporting our commitment to Equal Opportunities.
A full curriculum vitae, application form and a recruitment monitoring form quoting
reference number BSN1 should be sent by the closing date of
TBC to:
Marina Hall
Department of Computing,
Imperial College London,
South Kensington Campus,
London SW7 2AZ
UK
fax: +44 (0)20 7581 8024
The CV should include the following information:
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Applicant’s full name, private address and private telephone number
A confidential fax number and e-mail address, where possible
Degrees (including University and dates)
Past and present posts
List of publications
Brief description of future research plans
Names, addresses and, email, fax numbers, of three referees.
If you would prefer you may return your application by email to mahall@doc.ic.ac.uk
however, we will need to ask for an original signature on the application form at the
interview if you are short-listed.
Short listed candidates will be contacted as soon as possible after the closing date.
If you wish your application to be acknowledged, please enclose a stamped addressed
postcard bearing the reference number of the post for which you are applying.
We regret that we are unable to reply to each applicant; therefore, if you do not hear
from us within eight weeks of the closing date for this post you should assume that you
have been unsuccessful on this occasion.
Thank you for your interest in this post. We look forward to receiving your
application.