Research Fellow (Dubai) - School of Computer Science - 105454 - Grade 7

Position Details

School of Computer Science 

Discipline: Life and Environmental Sciences

University of Birmingham, Dubai campus

Salary: Competitive 

Grade: 7

No. of positions: 1

Full time

Location: Dubai, UAE

Closing date: 27th May 2025 

University of Birmingham Dubai

Having established ourselves in Dubai International Academic City in 2018 we have now moved to our new state-of-the-art campus which opened in Sept 2021. These posts represent an excellent opportunity to join an ambitious World Top 100 University as we continue to grow our long-term strategic mission in Dubai, the UAE and the wider region. Our campus reflects the very best of Birmingham through our presence in Dubai.

Background

To create and contribute to the creation of knowledge by undertaking a specified range of activities within an established research programme and/or specific research project. 

Specifically, we are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to join our team in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP) with a focus on large language models, deep learning, and multi-modal machine learning. The researcher will work on the project KAMAL Health: Knowledge-Augmented Multi-Modal Arabic LLMs for Healthcare (PI: Dr Ruchit Agrawal). This is a full-time position for a duration of three years based at University of Birmingham Dubai and provides an exciting opportunity to work on cutting-edge research and contribute to advancements in medical AI technologies.

Role Summary

• Work within specified research grants and projects and contribute to writing bids 
• Operate within area of specialism and develop AI models for healthcare
• Generate high quality, state-of-the-art research on clinical LLMs
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results 
• Contribute to generating funding 
• Contribute to licensing or spin out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and/or public understanding of Artificial Intelligence

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Conduct high-impact research in large language models, deep learning, and multi-modal machine learning (integrating text, audio, and visual data)
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD/MSc students where appropriate to the discipline
• Develop and refine algorithms and models for large-scale language processing tasks, with a focus on healthcare data
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods for clinical machine learning
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Explore novel applications of speech processing and multi-modal data fusion in NLP
• Collaborate with a diverse team of researchers and contribute to the development of state-of-the-art medical LLMs
• Publish research findings in leading academic conferences and journals
• Participate in career development and progression by availing opportunities for research-led teaching
• Mentor and guide graduate students and junior researchers
• Promote equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Person Specification

• A master’s and bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence or a related field and a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Computational Linguistics, Artificial Intelligence or a related field
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Fluency in relevant models (such as LLMs), techniques or methods (such as multi-modal ML and speech processing) and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Proficiency in Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, Hugging Face, etc
• Strong ability to work independently and as part of a team in a collaborative research environment
• Proven track record of publishing research in top-tier conferences and journals
• Proficiency in Arabic is strongly encouraged but not required
• Experience with multi-modal medical LLMs and working with Electronic Health Records
• Familiarity with the latest trends in large language models, clinical machine learning and transfer learning
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively 
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Ruchit Agrawal, email: r.r.agrawal@bham.ac.uk (Dubai Campus), and Aad van Moorsel, email: a.vanmoorsel@bham.ac.uk (Edgbaston Campus)

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. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.n find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.