Research Associate - Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Facility (MSKBRF) in Cardiff

The Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Facility has been awarded EPSRC funding for an exciting new research project, Multi-platform pipeline for engineering human shoulder joint function. This project will develop new methods to understand shoulder biomechanics in health, instability and joint replacement, bringing together advanced medical imaging, computational modelling and experimental biomechanics within a major collaboration between Cardiff University, Imperial College London and international project partners.

Shoulder pain and dysfunction are highly prevalent and place a substantial burden on patients and healthcare services. Despite increasing use of surgical interventions, including stabilisation procedures and shoulder arthroplasty, outcomes remain variable and difficult to predict. Compared with the hip and knee, the shoulder presents a particularly complex biomechanical challenge because function depends on coordinated interactions between bone geometry, soft tissues, implant design and muscle loading.

The ENGIN Shoulder project addresses this challenge through a unique multi-platform pipeline spanning in vivo dynamic biplane X-ray imaging, subject-specific musculoskeletal modelling and robot-driven cadaveric testing. Based at Cardiff University, this post will contribute to the in vivo shoulder biomechanics work within the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Facility, which houses the UK’s only dynamic biplane X-ray facility integrated with motion capture and electromyography.

Working closely with the Cardiff In‑Vivo team, the successful candidate will develop and implement AI‑based image registration and biomechanics analysis methods for the shoulder, supporting a novel imaging pipeline that links Cardiff’s in‑vivo data to musculoskeletal modelling and cadaveric testing activities across the wider consortium. The role offers an excellent opportunity to work in a highly interdisciplinary research environment spanning engineering, orthopaedics, imaging and data science.

The post holder will collaborate with leading academic and clinical partners in the UK and internationally, and will contribute to the development of new methods, datasets and analysis pipelines that will help transform understanding of shoulder joint function and support future clinical innovation.

Your main duties would include:

• Work with Cardiff, Imperial and international collaborators to develop, apply and refine AI‑based image registration workflows for native and implanted shoulder dynamic biplane X‑ray datasets.
• Develop and integrate biomechanics analysis pipelines linking dynamic biplane X‑ray, motion capture, electromyography and MR‑derived subject‑specific anatomical models.
• Support the processing, analysis and interpretation of shoulder kinematics data from healthy volunteers and patient cohorts.
• Contribute to the validation and optimisation of image registration and analysis methods using relevant in‑vivo and in‑vitro datasets.
• Support integration of Cardiff’s in‑vivo imaging outputs with musculoskeletal modelling and robot‑driven cadaveric testing activities across the programme.
• Analyse and interpret imaging and biomechanics data to quantify shoulder motion, instability‑related mechanics and implant‑related function.
• Contribute to the curation, documentation and dissemination of analysis workflows, derived datasets and outputs for collaborative and open research use.
• Work closely with the Cardiff team, clinicians and project coordinator to ensure analysis activities align with ongoing data collection, governance and project delivery.
• Contribute to reports, publications, presentations and collaborative meetings across the ENGIN‑Shoulder consortium.

This post is full time (35 hours per week) from the 1st August 2026 and is fixed term until 31st July 2029. Salary: £41,064 – £46,049 per annum (Grade 6).

The School of Engineering holds an Athena SWAN Bronze Award that recognises good employment practice and a commitment to develop the careers of women working in science. Cardiff University is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. For this vacancy we actively encourage women to apply. We will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share opportunities.