University of Birmingham – Centre for Systems Modelling and Quantitative Biomedicine

Salary: Full time starting salary is normally in the range £56,021 to £64,914 with potential progression once in post to £84,644. Grade 9

Closes: 9th October 2023

The Centre for Systems Modelling and Quantitative Biomedicine (SMQB) is seeking an academic with an active, personal commitment to innovative industry-facing research and teaching. This comes at an exciting time for the SMQB with an anticipated move in early 2024 into the Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA, https://phta.co.uk/), a unique innovation and accelerator facility which is part of the Birmingham Health Innovation Campus (https://phta.co.uk/bhic/). The PHTA provides state-of-the-art incubation and collaboration space and SMQB will be co-located with innovative health and life science businesses, bringing together entrepreneurs, start-ups and scale-ups together with the next generation of academic and clinical leaders, creating unique opportunities to commercialise ideas and accelerate the rapid development of cutting-edge therapies and technologies.

The SMQB is a unique interdisciplinary activity, bringing together outstanding scientists and innovators from our Schools of Mathematics, and Computer Science, and the Institute for Metabolism and Systems Research. It has strong links with several other university activities, including the Healthcare Technologies Institute, the Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Science & AI, the Centre for Digital Health and the Centre for Human Brain Health. Under the leadership of Professor John Terry (Interdisciplinary Professorial Fellow), we recognise that for our work to be truly impactful we must pioneer new ways of working that bring communities together. Students, Researchers, Patients and the Public, Philanthropists, Hospitals and Clinics, Industry and Venture Capital, Policy Makers and Regulators forming a single ecosystem within which transformative research challenges are co-created and then solved for societal benefit.

This new post provides a unique opportunity to develop new avenues for research and teaching within an environment where working beyond traditional discipline boundaries is actively encouraged and supported. You will be expected to plan, direct and undertake an internationally leading research programme within the domain of application of mathematics and computer science applied to challenges in biomedicine and healthcare that complement and enhance current research activities within the SMQB (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/systems-modelling-and-quantitative-biomedicine/index.aspx). The role further provides an opportunity to develop and provide leadership within a rapidly growing sector.

You will have a well-established track record of impactful industry-facing research (either through working in or with industry partners), and strongly motivated by a desire to make a difference to society. Your research should have measurable outcomes that reflect a growing international reputation. For example, you will have a significant track record of publishing in internationally recognised peer-reviewed journals, presenting results at international scientific conferences and generating income, both from externally funded grants and industry partners, to support your research programme. Once in post, the role will offer wide scope for paid consultancy and other commercial opportunities within the PHTA.

Teaching responsibilities will include a contribution to the SMQB’s interdisciplinary and innovation-inspired education activities; for example, our flagship MSc in Biomedical Innovation (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/med/biomedical-innovation.aspx) as well as mathematics and/or computer science undergraduate or postgraduate programmes. You will also have exciting opportunities to develop interdisciplinary industry-facing CPD programmes and microcredential courses around digital skills, taking advantage of being embedded within the PHTA eco-system.

Leadership and administration opportunities will include at the Centre and School level, with University wide involvement that may include sustained high value impact knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, public engagement and similar activities that are of manifest benefit to the constituent Colleges and University. Finally, you will be expected to demonstrate academic citizenship, developing and maintaining generous, mutually respectful and supportive working relationships with all staff and students, and ensuring the way you carry out your role impacts positively on how others can carry out their work.