Research Assistant / Associate(UK Visa Sponsorship)
Job Description
About the Role
The University of Glasgow is seeking a Research Assistant or Research Associate to join an interdisciplinary research project led by Professor Jon Cooper. This role offers an exciting opportunity to work at the intersection of optical physics, instrumentation engineering, and healthcare diagnostics.
The project focuses on the development of advanced spatially offset and stand-off Raman spectroscopy systems, integrating picosecond pulsed laser technology with time-gated array detectors. The goal is to enable non-contact and non-invasive healthcare monitoring, supporting future diagnostic tools that can be deployed beyond traditional laboratory environments.
Research Focus and Impact
The research aims to deliver compact, robust, and clinically relevant optical systems that can support healthcare assessment and diagnosis in real-world settings. Potential application areas include:
- Detection and monitoring of osteoporosis
- Identification of bone fractures
- Early diagnosis of melanoma and other skin conditions
A strong emphasis is placed on developing portable and field-deployable instrumentation, such as non-Czerny–Turner spectrometers, alongside remote and digitally enabled sensing technologies aligned with the UK’s growing focus on digital health innovation:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/digital-health-and-care
Key Responsibilities
Working under the guidance of Professor Cooper, you will:
- Contribute to the design, development, and optimisation of optical spectroscopy systems
- Work with pulsed laser sources, high-speed detectors, and time-gated detection technologies
- Support software development and system integration for tailored data acquisition
- Analyse experimental data and contribute to the interpretation of results
- Prepare research outputs, including peer-reviewed publications
- Assist in the development of future research proposals and funding applications
About You
You will be an enthusiastic researcher with a strong interest in applied optical technologies and healthcare innovation.
We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:
- Experience (or strong foundational understanding) of optical systems involving pulsed lasers and fast detectors
- Familiarity with spectroscopy, instrumentation development, or optical sensing
- An ability to integrate hardware, software, and data-collection systems
- A collaborative approach to research and strong scientific communication skills
Candidates with the ability to contribute independently at Grade 7 level may be appointed as a Research Associate, while those developing their research profile may be appointed at Grade 6.
Visa and Right to Work
The University of Glasgow is required to ensure that all employees have the legal right to work in the UK. This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route, subject to meeting Home Office criteria, including tradeable points requirements.
Further information is available via the UK Government:
https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The University of Glasgow is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and supportive working environment. We actively promote equality of opportunity in line with UK public sector equality duties
The University strongly supports the principles of Athena SWAN, encouraging flexible working and advancing gender equality across research and teaching careers:
https://www.ukri.org/what-we-offer/supporting-healthy-research-and-innovation-culture/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/
Additional Information
The University of Glasgow is a registered charity (SC004401) and is dedicated to delivering research that benefits society, healthcare, and technological innovation across the UK and beyond.
