Research Fellow - School of Chemical Engineering - 107527 - Grade 7 in Birmingham

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to June 2028

Closing date: 21st June 2026

The Healthcare Technologies Institute at the University of Birmingham is seeking to appoint a Research Fellow in Bioelectronic Engineering to support the development of an affordable user centred EEG headset for community-based diagnosis and management of suspected seizures. This role forms part of a large multidisciplinary research programme focused on the development of affordable community-based EEG technologies for neurological diagnosis and monitoring. The project involves collaboration between the University of Birmingham, the University of Plymouth, the University of Lancashire, NHS partners, industry collaborators, and patient and public contributors. The programme combines expertise in engineering, neuroscience, mathematics, medicine, digital biomarkers, and user centred healthcare innovation to develop wearable EEG systems suitable for use in home and primary care settings.

The successful candidate will contribute to the design, prototyping, integration, and testing of a wearable EEG platform including custom electronics, dry electrodes, headset systems, and data acquisition hardware. The role will involve close collaboration with software developers, clinicians, researchers, patients, and external partners to develop a robust and scalable prototype suitable for future regulatory translation.

Role Summary

The post holder will undertake research and development activities focused on wearable bioelectronic systems for EEG acquisition in community settings. The role will contribute to the design and implementation of low-cost medical grade EEG hardware systems, including PCB development, analogue front-end design, wearable headset integration, dry electrode development, and device testing. The Research Fellow will work within an interdisciplinary team and contribute to iterative prototype development informed by stakeholder feedback, usability testing, and regulatory considerations. The post holder will support the development of device documentation aligned with medical device quality management and regulatory requirements including ISO 13485, IEC 60601, and ISO 14971.

Main Duties

• Design and develop wearable EEG hardware systems for community-based neurological monitoring applications.
• Develop PCB designs and electronic subsystems for multi-channel EEG acquisition and wireless data transmission.
• Support the design and optimisation of analogue front-end circuitry for low noise biopotential acquisition.
• Contribute to the development and testing of dry EEG electrodes and wearable headset systems.
• Undertake rapid prototyping, laboratory testing, debugging, and iterative optimisation of hardware systems.
• Contribute to integration of hardware with embedded firmware, mobile applications, and cloud-based infrastructure.
• Evaluate device performance against benchmark EEG systems and support validation studies.
• Contribute to development of technical files, risk management documentation, verification reports, and design history documentation required for future UKCA regulatory approval.
• Work closely with clinicians, patients, and public contributors to incorporate user feedback into the design process.
• Analyse and interpret experimental data relating to EEG signal quality, hardware performance, and usability assessments.
• Disseminate research findings through publications, technical reports, presentations, and conference contributions.
• Contribute to research grant applications and future translational funding opportunities.
• Support supervision of students and provide guidance to junior researchers where appropriate.
• Contribute to departmental research activities, meetings, and collaborative initiatives.
• Undertake management and administration associated with the research programme.
• Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion and contribute to an inclusive working environment.

Person Specification

Essential

• First degree in Electronic Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Medical Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Normally a higher degree relevant to the research area, or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience in electronic hardware design and prototyping.
• Experience in analogue and digital circuit design for sensor or biomedical applications.
• Experience using laboratory instrumentation for testing and validation of electronic systems.
• Ability to analyse and interpret experimental data.
• Ability to communicate complex technical information clearly and effectively.
• Ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary research teams.
• Strong organisational and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to coordinate and prioritise research activities to meet project deadlines.

Desirable

• Experience in wearable medical device development.
• Experience in biopotential acquisition systems, such as EEG, ECG and EMG.
• Experience with wireless communication technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy.
• Experience contributing to translational or industry focused research projects.
• Knowledge of medical device standards and regulatory processes including ISO 13485, IEC 60601, ISO 14971, or UKCA requirements.

Informal enquiries to Atif Shahzad, email: a.shahzad@bham.ac.uk

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy.