PhD opportunities at the UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Healthcare, Imperial College London
We have created a world-leading Centre for doctoral training with the vision and mission to train innovators in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for health and care. Our AI4Health graduates will be experts who drive the development of AI, will have learned to move fluidly across the disciplinary AI-medical/healthcare boundaries, and become independent actors in the highly regulated healthcare technology market. The programme is based at Imperial College, Department of Computing which achieved the top spot for computer science and informatics in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercise, deeming 93% of its research and research-led education and innovation world-leading and the remainder internationally excellent.
For entry in 2024, we have several funded PhD opportunities available..
Our approach
Our strategy is broad, inclusive and multidisciplinary. For us AI is about an entire system that solves a health problem, this may require combining different algorithmic and representational approaches including machine learning, robotics, optimisation, symbolic reasoning, natural language processing, and computer vision. Challenges in applying AI to healthcare require the development of patient-ready methods aligned with ethical, legal, and regulatory standards. Ultimately, the UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Healthcare aims to cultivate a diverse cohort of AI researchers capable of effectively deploying AI in healthcare, addressing the growing need for skilled professionals in this field.
The program covers technical AI aspects, healthcare ethics, patient engagement, practice, and regulations. It offers hands-on training with NHS databases, biobanking, and advanced AI techniques like deep learning. Cohort-based activities, including AI seminars and hackathons, encourage collaboration among students and researchers from diverse backgrounds such as mathematics, computer science, and clinical medicine. Industry partnerships provide co-created content, regulatory and entrepreneurship training, and data access, while collaboration with NHS trusts supports on-site research.
Our students will benefit from the joint supervision of at least two supervisors, and will go through an integrated, cohort-based training programme. Details of the programme including its progress requirements (milestones) are available on our website.