Research Associate - Quantum Hub for Biomedical Research

Role: Research Associate – Quantum Hub for Biomedical Research

Grade and Salary: Grade 7, £36,924 - £46,485 per annum

FTE and working pattern: 1 FTE, 35hrs per week, Monday – Friday

Contract: Fixed Term – 36 Months

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

Purpose of Role

We seek a talented and motivated scientist to undertake research on quantum sensing for applications to biomedical research. The goals of the project are to enhance spin-based quantum sensing through adaptive and machine learning techniques, capitalising on our world leading expertise, and to deploy it to problems of interest for biomedical research and healthcare. The proposed work will benefit from a unique experimental setup, fully operational, that enables tuning control pulse sequences in real-time.  

We expect the candidate to supervise on-going work on an existing experimental setup, which enables feedback control on timescales one order of magnitude shorter than what available in the literature and has already led to high-quality publications (e.g. https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.06103). Furthermore, the candidate will build a new experimental setup tailored for biomedical sensing.  

We expect the candidate to play a leading role in proposing and developing novel experiments related to the applications quantum sensing in the life sciences, and to interface with experimental/theoretical physics, biochemistry and biology researchers. We furthermore expect the candidate to actively contribute to the Q-BIOMED hub, attending meetings, presenting their work and creating new collaborations with researchers at the partner institutions. 

Key Duties & Responsibilities

The key tasks of this project are to undertake research in the following areas: 

1. Implement and demonstrate robust multi-parameter quantum sensing protocols based on reinforcement learning 
2. Construct a new experimental setup for quantum sensing of biochemical species with NV centres 
3. Actively contribute to the development of a new research line in quantum sensing for biomedical research, in collaboration with our groups. 
4. Intellectual property protection with a view to develop near and future market applications  
5. General tasks involve scientific research; analysis and interpretation of data; daily oversight of the activities of postgraduate and undergraduate project students in the laboratory; communication with other investigators involved in this collaborative project; preparation of scientific papers; presentation of research at conferences. 

To carry out the research project to a high standard by;  

1. Meeting planned milestones and deliverables. 
2. Reporting progress regularly to supervisors, both verbally and in written reports 
3. Keeping clear written records of work done and storing data in accessible formats according to a system agreed with the project supervisor. 

To collaborate with partners within the project and others as appropriate

1. The project involves a close collaboration with biochemists and biologists. 
2. The post holder will join the Quantum Photonics Laboratory and will be expected to work collaboratively and cooperatively in a team environment; this involves shared use of laboratory equipment (therefore effective communication between group members is essential) and giving periodic presentations to group meetings. 
3. Assist the development of student research skills and be expected to contribute to the assessment of student knowledge in the context of teaching and supervision duties.  
4. The post holder will be expected to maintain and develop collaborations with internal and external partners in the field. 

Dissemination of results

1. Attend group and project meetings, communicating progress on a regular basis. Deliver presentations to project collaborators and the wider research community 
2. Write high quality research papers in English for the scientific literature.  
3. Disseminate results of research in peer reviewed journals and conferences, and/or other appropriate media.   

Other duties 

1. Understand the intellectual property landscape relevant to the project and seek to protect the methods and techniques developed during the course of the project. 
2. Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research with the assistance of a mentor, if required.  
3. Build internal contacts and participate in internal networks for the exchange of information and to form relationships for future collaboration. Work with academic colleagues on areas of shared research interest and contribute to collaborative decision making. Join external networks to share information and identify potential sources of funds.  
4. Contribute, under supervision, to the planning of research projects, including the development of new grant/contract proposals. Make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding and form relationships for future collaboration. 
5. The ideal candidate will have a strong theoretical understanding and an experimental background in one or more of the following fields: condensed-matter physics, quantum optics, and quantum information science, preferentially with some previous expertise on spin control.  
6. The successful candidate will be expected to conduct and lead their own experiments whilst also supervising the activities of junior group members and PhD students.  
7. Responsibilities will also include assistance in the day-to-day maintenance of the experimental facilities, liaising with companies and external collaborators.  
8. The successful candidate is also expected to be involved in our outreach activities, with roles that can be tuned to the specific preferences of the candidate but will involve for example interviews, talks for the general public and preparation of experimental demonstrators.

Essential & Desirable Criteria

Essential

1. A PhD in physics, chemistry, biology or related subjects (or expected to be awarded a PhD soon) 
2. A sound grasp of optics, quantum mechanics, nuclear magnetic resonance 
3. A demonstrated track-record (during a PhD degree or post-doctoral research) of: Construction and operation of optical and/or microwave setups, experimental experience on bio-chemical or biological systems, development of physical models to understand experimental data and primary author contributions to peer-reviewed journals 
4. Experience of programming (C++ or Python or MATLAB) for data acquisition and analysis
5. A record of high-quality publications, as appropriate for the stage in career, and evidence of contribution to the writing of these publications proportionate to opportunity
6. Ability to articulate research work, both in technical reports / papers and by oral presentation 
7. Ability to formulate and progress work on their own initiative 
8. Evidence of research ability: problem solving, flexibility 
9. Must be able to work as part of a team on the experiments at Heriot-Watt and more widely with the collaborators at other Universities 
10. Experience in writing and managing peer-reviewed papers
11. Experience in public presentations of scientific results (e.g. conference talks) 

Desirable

1. Good understanding of NMR/EPR techniques 
2. Experience in leading the writing of scientific papers
3. Evidence of ability, subject to opportunity, to guide other researchers, e.g. PhD students and undergraduate project students
4. Experience of research-student supervision
5. Capability to be self-directed and think innovatively
6. Energy and enthusiasm for the project

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Sunday 24th November 2024.

Please submit your CV via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment.

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities.  Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

About Heriot-Watt University

At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.