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A 4 or 5-year PhD Studentship in AI Enabled Healthcare joint funded by the UKRI and an anonymous donor is available within the Institute of Health Informatics, Centre for Doctoral Training Programme in AI-Enabled Healthcare in partnership with the CHIMERA (Collaborative Healthcare Innovation through Mathematics, Engineering and AI). The studentship will commence from September 2023 onwards, under the supervision of Dr Steve Harris and Professor Becky Shipley.
For applicants applying for the four-year studentship, you would be expected to study part time. For applicants applying for the five-year studentship, you will be enrolled full time in year one to complete the MRes degree.You will then be expected to study part time during years two to five.
Background:
The MRes programme covers the core competencies of artificial intelligence and has a central emphasis on how healthcare organisations work. Ethical training for medical artificial intelligence will be explicitly emphasised alongside a broader approach to responsible research, innovation and entrepreneurship. For those undertaking the MRes year, students will learn the statistical underpinnings of machine learning theory, acquire a practical grounding in research software engineering and the principles of healthcare and medical research, as well as a thorough treatment of topics in machine learning, advanced statistics and principles of data science.
During your PhD you will remain involved in CDT activities and will continue to work closely with relevant health professionals and clinical teams through our NHS partners and leading academics at UCL. As a cohort based PhD programme, students will also have the opportunity to participate in a range of seminars, training programmes, placements and other activities, including UCL's Doctoral Skills Development Programme.
Aims:
The collaboration with CHIMERA provides access to data including the Critical Care theme of the NIHR Health Informatics Collaborative alongside open source and locally generated archives of physiological waveforms from monitors, ventilators and other bedside devices. The successful candidate will be encouraged to develop their own project but will be fully supported by the senior leadership of CHIMERA and the Institute of Health Informatics. Preference will be for projects that are aligned to critical care medicine, and envision a pathway to bedside benefit. The support provided by the donor is intended to enable and advance the careers of mid-career clinical trainees in critical care who often struggle to apply for academic training having undertaken several years to acquire the necessary skills in what is often considered a ‘craft specialty’.
This PhD is intended to template a pathway to using machine learning (ML) and digital innovations to improve care. We seek tractable problems and then provide the student with a bedside prototyping platform, a clinical team, and methodological expertise to support the translation of ML into better healthcare.
About the role
The student will join the prestigious UKRI UCL Centre for Doctoral Training in AI-enabled Healthcare Systems which offers a unique programme of an (optional) 1 Year MRes followed by a 3 year PhD embedded within an NHS setting. The MRes will cover the core competencies of AI with an emphasis on how healthcare organisations work, the ethics of medical AI, and a broad approach to research, innovation and entrepreneurship. In Years 2-4, they will undertake their PhD at IHI supported by CHIMERA, CORU, and the Institute of Health Care Engineering. All departments have a thriving doctoral student programme with a high conversion rate to completed PhDs.
All students are assigned a principal supervisor responsible for overseeing the student’s research training and subsidiary supervisors who provide additional support to ensure the relationship with the principal supervisor is working effectively and who also monitor the student’s progress, providing support and encouragement. Students receive additional pastoral support from the Department’s graduate tutor.
Research students are normally required to do 80 hours per year of courses or transferable skills training (leadership, management, writing and presentation skills etc.) offered by UCL’s Skills Development Programme. Each student keeps a formal log to record their training experiences. At the end of the first PhD year, students are required to submit an upgrade report (around 10,000 words), give a formal upgrade presentation to the department, and have a viva examination by external assessors. If the report and viva are satisfactory, the student will be recommended to transfer to full registration for a PhD. Students will also participate in training such as entrepreneurship and attend our annual CDT conference.
About you
This applicant should be a clinician who wishes to combine clinical work in critical care with a future career in AI for Healthcare. The applicant must hold MBBS or equivalent, current GMC registration, and demonstrate evidence of an interest in quantitative research, machine learning for health or similar, and demonstrate strong computational skills.
Applicants should have a first-class or upper second-class Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree (or equivalent work experience) in a relevant discipline or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.
What we offer
This studentship covers the cost of tuition fees based on the UK (Home) rate.
The student will receive a starting stipend of £19,668 per annum (including London weighting) as well as the cost of tuition fees based on UK fee status. Students will also be eligible for a research training support grant.
