Group Leaders and Senior Group Leaders – Computational Biology and AI in Manchester

Join the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute. The Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute (CRUK MI) is seeking exceptional early‐career and senior scientists, including clinician scientists, to establish bold, innovative and internationally leading research programmes as independent Group Leaders in Computational Biology and Artificial Intelligence.

Situated within one of Europe's largest and most dynamic cancer research ecosystems, successful candidates will join an outstanding collaborative environment spanning the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, the Manchester Cancer Research Centre, The University of Manchester, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, and Manchester's rapidly expanding AI research community. We encourage candidates who wish to leverage recent advances in machine learning, artificial intelligence and computational biology to transform our understanding of cancer and develop new approaches to diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and patient stratification.

Areas of Interest

• Machine learning and artificial intelligence for cancer research.
• Foundation models and large‐scale biological learning systems.
• Single‐cell and spatial multi‐omics analysis.
• Computational genomics and epigenomics.
• AI‐enabled pathology and medical imaging.
• Cancer evolution and tumour ecosystem modelling.
• Systems biology and network‐based approaches, especially in immunology.
• Clinical data science and real‐world evidence.
• Multimodal integration of biological and clinical datasets.

What We Offer

• Funding for two postdoctoral scientists, one technician and two PhD students, together with associated research running costs.
• Dedicated laboratory and computational research space within the Paterson Cancer Research Building.
• Access to state‐of‐the‐art scientific technology platforms and core facilities.
• Access to high‐performance computing, advanced data science infrastructure and large‐scale biomedical datasets.
• Access to the Manchester Cancer Research Centre Biobank and associated translational research resources drawing on patient samples from NHS Trusts across Greater Manchester, including The Christie.
• Outstanding opportunities for collaboration across CRUK MI, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester.
• Expert mentorship and support for career development and scientific leadership.
• Dedicated grant development and review support.
• Research governance, integrity and regulatory support through experienced professional teams.
• A highly collaborative environment built around multidisciplinary research and team science.

Salary range: £61,944–£81,508 per annum (dependent upon experience). Duration: Five‐year fixed‐term appointment (in the first instance). For clinically qualified candidates, salary is dependent upon experience and clinical duties (not expected to exceed the equivalent of one clinic day per week).

Data, AI and Translation at Scale

Manchester provides a uniquely integrated environment in which computational scientists can develop transformative AI methods while working closely with experimental researchers, translational scientists and clinicians. The Institute has exceptional strengths in generating large‐scale, high‐dimensional datasets that create opportunities for methodological innovation and biological discovery, including:

• Single‐cell and spatial multi‐omics datasets.
• Cancer genomics and epigenomics.
• Histopathology and advanced imaging data.
• Functional genomics datasets.
• Immune profiling and tumour ecosystem analyses.
• Longitudinal clinical and translational datasets.
• Electronic health records and real‐world clinical data.

Co‐location with The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, one of Europe's largest comprehensive cancer centres, provides unrivalled opportunities for both forward and reverse translation. Researchers will have opportunities to collaborate closely with clinician scientists, translational researchers and trialists to develop computational approaches with direct clinical relevance.

Group Leaders – Computational Biology and AI

Successful candidates will be uniquely positioned to develop programmes spanning computational method development, biological discovery, translational research and clinical implementation.

Senior Group Leaders – Computational Biology and AI

Salary range: £80,000–£130,000 per annum (dependent upon experience). Duration: Permanent (subject to successful Quinquennial Reviews). For clinically qualified candidates, salary is dependent upon experience and clinical duties (not expected to exceed the equivalent of one clinic day per week).

About You

You will hold a PhD in computational biology, computer science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, statistics, mathematics, bioinformatics or a related discipline and have an internationally recognised track record of scientific achievement. You will have:

• Extensive research and scientific leadership experience.
• International standing in computational biology and/or artificial intelligence.
• A record of high‐impact publications.
• Evidence of sustained success in securing competitive external funding.
• Experience building, leading and mentoring successful research teams.
• A strong commitment to collaborative science.
• Expertise in computational biology and AI, together with a track record of developing machine learning methods and applying them to important problems in cancer biology, is particularly welcomed.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute is committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds and communities and encourage applications from candidates who reflect diversity in its broadest sense. All appointments are made on merit.

Applications and Closing Date

Closing date: Sunday, 2 August 2026 (applications will be closed at 18:00 hours on the closing date). All applications should be submitted in line with the Institute's online process.