A fully funded PhD opportunity is available at Newcastle University, co-supervised by Dr Laura Young and Assistant Professor Raheleh Kafieh (Durham University), as part of the MRC Discovery Medicine North (DiMeN) Doctoral Training Partnership. The project, titled 'Enabling sensitive retinal biomarkers using adaptive optics imaging, simulation and AI,' aims to develop advanced simulation and AI models for detecting and analyzing photoreceptor cells in the human retina. This interdisciplinary research combines adaptive optics, high-resolution retinal imaging, machine learning, synthetic data generation, biomedical engineering, mathematical modelling, and explainable AI. The goal is to enable earlier diagnosis and improved monitoring of sight-threatening diseases.

The successful candidate will join a vibrant research community, access world-class facilities, and receive bespoke training. The studentship is fully funded for four years, covering tuition, a stipend of £20,780 for 2024/25, and project costs. UK students are eligible, and a few exceptional international candidates may be considered. The start date is 1st October 2026.

Interested applicants should apply via the MRC DiMeN website and consult the FindAPhD listing for full project details. This is an excellent opportunity for those passionate about AI, medical imaging, or vision science to contribute to impactful research in early disease detection.