King's College London

About us 

The Label-free Bioimaging Laboratory, within the Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences (FoDOCS) at King’s College London, is part of a world-leading centre for research and clinical translation in head and neck health. FoDOCS integrates expertise across bioscience, biomedical and optical engineering, clinical practice, and data science, enabling seamless translation from fundamental discovery to patient care.

Our laboratory focuses on advanced label-free optical technologies for disease detection and characterisation. We develop fibre-optic and multimodal imaging systems, integrate device engineering with clinical workflows, and apply artificial intelligence and machine learning for automated image and signal analysis, tissue classification, and real-time diagnostics.

Researchers benefit from state-of-the-art optics and prototyping facilities, high-performance computing for AI-driven analysis, and direct access to clinical environments. This multidisciplinary ecosystem accelerates the development, validation, and translation of next-generation, minimally invasive diagnostic technologies.

About the role 

At the Label-free Bioimaging Laboratory at King’s College London, a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant–funded opportunity is available for a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) with strong expertise in fibre optics and medical technologies.

The appointed PDRA will play a central role within the ERC-funded research programme, contributing both technical leadership and conceptual innovation. As a core member of the Label-free Bioimaging Laboratory, the PDRA will be responsible for delivering high-quality, internationally competitive research outputs, while providing intellectual input into experimental design, technology development, and translational strategy. Working closely with the Principal Investigator and collaborators, the PDRA will lead the design, development, optimisation, and validation of advanced fibre-optic and optical imaging platforms.

Within the scope of the ERC project, the PDRA will drive forward the development of next-generation label-free optical technologies aimed at enabling real-time, in vivo cancer diagnosis. This will involve micromanufacturing and integrating advancing device engineering for clinical compatibility, and translating laboratory prototypes toward practical biomedical application. The role will require independent problem-solving, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and a highly proactive approach to innovation, with opportunities to supervise students and contribute to grant writing and research planning.

The successful applicant will join a vibrant and highly collaborative multidisciplinary team within a fully equipped (and new refurbished), state-of-the-art optics laboratory at King’s College London. The group works at the intersection of optical microscopy, fiber-optics disease characterisation, biomedical engineering, and translational biophotonics, offering an excellent environment that bridges fundamental photonics research with impactful clinical translation.

This is a full time post and will be offered on a fixed term contract until May 2027.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. Expertise in fiber optics
2. Expertise in medtech / medical engineering
3. Expertise in manufacturing or micromanufacturing
4. Demonstrated excellent communication skills, in academic as well as non-academic contexts 

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6. 

Further information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.