AI Research Scientist (Medical Imaging)

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are seeking a highly motivated and creative AI Research Scientist to lead the development and improvement of AI models focused on oral lesion detection as part of the MeMoSA (Mobile Mouth Screening Anywhere) project. This role is pivotal in advancing our institution’s work in medical AI and setting the foundation for building a dedicated in-house AI research team in the long term. The candidate is expected to be able to work independently but will receive support from our established collaborators from Malaysia and the UK.

SCOPE / PURPOSE OF JOB

Short-Term Objectives (Year 1–2):

• Improve and optimize existing oral lesion detection AI models using the latest deep learning and computer vision techniques
• Develop novel, bias-aware, transparent, and explainable AI approaches to improve clinical trust and applicability.
• Collaborate with dental and medical experts to ensure clinical relevance and data validity
• Conduct experiments, analyze model performance, and produce high-quality technical documentation and research papers.
• Manage data pre-processing pipelines, annotation quality checks, and model evaluation metrics.

Long-Term Objectives:

• Support the recruitment and mentoring of junior researchers or AI engineers as we build an internal AI team.
• Propose and lead new AI research projects in healthcare beyond oral lesion detection (e.g., predictive analytics, other imaging modalities, NLP for healthcare records).
• Contribute to the design of a scalable AI research infrastructure within the institution.

Qualifications

PhD or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Biomedical Engineering, or related fields.

Experience:

• Minimum 2–3 years of hands-on experience in deep learning, preferably in medical imaging (experience with oral or dental images is a plus)
• Strong understanding of model fairness, bias mitigation, explainability (XAI), and ethical AI.
• Proficiency with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Familiarity with tools and libraries for interpretability (e.g., SHAP, LIME, Grad-CAM).
• Track record of publications in reputable AI or medical imaging conferences/journals is highly desirable.
• Experience in leading small research or development projects is a plus.

Preferred Qualities

• Creative and independent thinker who can bring new ideas to the table.
• Passion for responsible AI development and real-world healthcare applications.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work cross-functionally with clinicians, researchers, and software teams.

Why Join Us?

• Be at the forefront of AI innovation in healthcare with real clinical impact.
• Opportunity to shape the future of an in-house AI research unit.
• Work closely with a diverse team of clinicians, researchers, and institutional leaders.
• Access to rich clinical datasets and institutional support for high-impact research.