Senior Research Fellow/Research Fellow(UK Visa Sponsorship Available)

Job Description

About Us

The Department of Translational Neuroscience and Stroke at UCL is focused on discovering the mechanisms behind neurological diseases and advancing innovative treatments to benefit patients. Our interdisciplinary team spans neuroscience, clinical neurology and computational modelling to translate research into meaningful real‑world impact.
We are launching a five‑year, Medical Research Council‑funded “Deep Network Modelling in Neuro‑oncology” programme. This ambitious initiative will develop advanced modelling frameworks using high‑dimensional clinical and imaging data, improving prediction of individual patient outcomes, enabling personalised therapy assignment, and uncovering critical disease mechanisms.

The Role

We are looking for a skilled researcher to join our neuro‑oncology initiative. Working under the leadership of Dr James Ruffle within the High‑Dimensional Neurology Group, you will develop and apply sophisticated modelling techniques to world‑class datasets. The role is ideal for someone who wants to deepen their academic research record or transition into industry via spin‑out opportunities.
As Research Fellow or Senior Research Fellow, you will shape the research agenda, lead data governance and curation, apply NLP and multi‑modal imaging models, visualise high‑dimensional data, drive publication and grant activity, mentor junior staff and supervise students.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and analyse large‑scale, high‑dimensional clinical/imaging datasets for neuro‑oncology research.
• Develop advanced modelling pipelines (network neuroscience, machine learning, NLP for imaging/text data).
• Lead scientific writing: prepare first‑author papers and co‑ordinate major grant applications.
• Act strategically: contribute to research group direction, mentor early‑career researchers, supervise students.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams (neuroscience, clinical, computational) to deliver translational impact.
• Ensure data governance, secure handling of sensitive data, and compliance with ethical and regulatory frameworks.

About You

• You hold (or are close to obtaining) a PhD in Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science, Computational Neuroscience or equivalent industry experience.
• For the Senior Research Fellow level: you have post‑doctoral experience, first‑author peer‑reviewed publications and/or experience securing research funding.
• Strong programming skills (especially in Python), experience with large‑scale, high‑dimensional data, and modelling techniques.
• Passionate about translational research and real‑world impact in neuro‑oncology.
• Able to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment.

Salary & Contract Details

• Research Fellow (Grade 7): £45,103 ‑ £52,586 p.a. (incl. London Allowance)
• Senior Research Fellow (Grade 8): £54,931 p.a. (incl. London Allowance)
• Appointment is subject to UCL’s Conditions of Service for Research & Professional Services staff.

This role meets eligibility for a Skilled Worker Certificate of Sponsorship or Global Talent visa under UK Visas & Immigration legislation, and UCL welcomes international applicants.

Benefits & Rewards

• 41 days holiday (27 annual leave + 8 bank holidays + 6 closure days)
• Option to buy an additional 5 days’ annual leave
• Defined‑benefit pension scheme
• Cycle‑to‑work scheme, season‑ticket loan
• Immigration loan, relocation support for some posts
• On‑site nursery, gym, enhanced parental leave, discounted medical insurance

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

UCL is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive community. We encourage applications from individuals from under‑represented groups including those from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; people with disabilities; LGBTQI+ and gender‑diverse individuals. The department holds an Athena SWAN Silver Award in recognition of its gender‑equality