Postdoctoral Project Research Scientist - Machine Learning, Machine Vision & Data Integration in London

Reporting to: Andrea Serio – Group Leader

Contract term: This is a full-time, fixed term (2-year) position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

Salary for this Role: From £47,500 with benefits, subject to skills and experience

About the Serio Lab & VISIBLE

The Serio Lab brings together stem-cell biology, bioengineering, microscopy, automation and disease modelling to build next-generation experimental systems for human biology. At the centre of this work is VISIBLE – a new imaging-driven platform designed to transform how complex biological models such as organoids and engineered tissues are built, monitored and analysed. Combining live imaging, automation, environmental control and biofabrication within one modular system, VISIBLE enables researchers to interact with biological systems in entirely new ways.

We are now looking for talented scientists and engineers to help take VISIBLE from an advanced academic platform into an exciting future spin‑out company. This is a rare opportunity to work at the intersection of science, technology and entrepreneurship, while remaining embedded within a world‑leading biomedical research institute.

About the role

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Project Research Scientist to lead machine learning, machine vision and data integration work across the VISIBLE platform. Working within a highly interdisciplinary team, you will develop analysis pipelines that convert microscopy, live imaging and complex biological datasets into actionable information for automated decision‑making, quality control and downstream biological interpretation. This role would suit a computational scientist, data scientist or technology‑focused researcher who enjoys applying deep learning, computer vision and advanced software engineering to challenging biological imaging problems.

This is a rare opportunity to join VISIBLE at a defining moment, as the project moves from an advanced academic platform toward a potential spin‑out company. The successful candidate will be part of the team helping to shape the technology, workflows and technical direction of VISIBLE from the inside, with the possibility of contributing to the foundations of a new company.

While the post will initially be based at the Crick, and remain subject to Crick terms and conditions, there may be an opportunity for the successful candidate, subject to company formation, relevant approvals, business needs and separate agreement, to be considered for a future role within the founding or early technical team of the spin‑out. Any future participation in the company, including potential equity or incentive arrangements, would be determined separately and subject to the governance, policies and terms of the future company.

What you’ll be doing

• Developing machine learning and deep learning workflows for analysis of microscopy, live‑imaging and high‑content imaging data from organoids, spheroids and other complex in‑vitro models.
• Building machine vision pipelines for segmentation, classification, tracking, feature extraction, phenotypic profiling and automated quality control.
• Developing, training, validating and deploying DNN‑based models that support imaging‑guided selection, sampling and intervention decisions on the VISIBLE platform.
• Integrating imaging‑derived features with other biological datasets, including functional readouts, screening data and downstream molecular or omics datasets.
• Working closely with biologists, engineers and software developers to translate biological questions into robust computational workflows and user‑facing analysis tools.
• Writing high‑quality, maintainable code, preparing technical documentation, and supporting reproducible data analysis practices across the programme.
• Contributing to the long‑term development of VISIBLE as an analysis‑ and AI‑enabled platform for closed‑loop experimental biology.

About you

• PhD in computer science, data science, machine learning, computational biology, bioimage analysis, bioengineering, physics or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Strong experience in machine learning, deep learning, computer vision or machine vision applied to imaging data.
• Experience developing DNN‑based analysis pipelines for microscopy, high‑content imaging, live‑cell imaging or related image‑based datasets.
• Advanced coding and software engineering experience, for example in Python and relevant ML/data science frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit‑learn, NumPy, pandas or similar.
• Experience with data analysis, model validation, reproducible computational workflows and integration of complex biological or imaging datasets.
• Strong communication, troubleshooting and collaborative working skills, with the ability to work across computational, biological and engineering teams.
• Experience with microscopy image analysis, bioimage informatics, organoid/spheroid image datasets, high‑content screening or live‑cell imaging data.
• Experience integrating image analysis outputs with functional, screening, transcriptomic, proteomic or other biological datasets.
• Experience with software control of instruments, automation platforms, robotics‑oriented software engineering, firmware or hardware/software interfaces.
• Experience working within interdisciplinary research, translational biology, biotech, drug discovery or platform‑development environments.

About us

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world‑class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions. The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state‑of‑the‑art infrastructure, cutting‑edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high‑quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

About Working at the Crick

Our values

• Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick’s mission and shaping our culture!
• We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently.
• We are open. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world.
• We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community.

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences. We are a Disability Confident: Committed employer and want to ensure that everyone can apply and be part of our recruitment processes and so we’ll make reasonable adjustments if you need them – just let us know when you apply.

What will you receive?

At the Francis Crick Institute, we value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well‑being and development:

• Visas: Applicants for this role will be eligible for sponsorship to work in the UK
• Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays.
• Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%.
• 24/7 GP consultation services.
• Occupational health services and mental health support programmes.
• Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans.
• Work‑Life Balance: Childcare support allowance. Annual leave purchase options. Crick Networks offering diverse groups’ support, community and inclusive social events.
• Discounted gym memberships, bike‑to‑work scheme, and shopping discounts.
• Subsidised on‑site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.
• Career support: A Post‑doc to PI programme and other career development activities.

Please note you must meet the essential criteria listed within the Role Profile, to have your application reviewed. We reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any given time due to the number of applications received.