About the Project: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a critical health challenge in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs), where timely and accessible diagnostic tools are lacking. This project addresses that gap by developing indigenously designed, low-cost, portable optical fiber diagnostic platforms for rapid TB detection. Building on our recent successes in Raman spectroscopy and optical fiber cavity ring down spectroscopy (OFCRDS), this interdisciplinary initiative is focused on making TB diagnostics as accessible as glucometers. The work is in collaboration with Gulab Devi Hospital, Lahore, and brings together experts from engineering, chemistry, biology, and medicine in both Pakistan and Norway. Relevant papers:

• Ubaid et al., "Lipoarabinomannan-based tuberculosis diagnosis using a fiber cavity ring down biosensor," Biomed. Opt. Express 15(3), 1428-1436 (2024).
• M. Daniyal Ghauri et al., "Detection of aflatoxin M1 by fiber cavity attenuated phase shift spectroscopy", Optics Express 29 (3), 3873-3881 (2021)
• Ubaid et al., "Raman Spectroscopy and Machine Learning-based Optical Sensor for Rapid Tuberculosis Diagnosis via Sputum," Tuberculosis (136), 102251, 2022.

Position Overview: We seek a post-doctoral scholar to contribute to the design, development, and clinical validation of Raman and OFCRDS-based TB diagnostic platforms. These roles offer the opportunity to be part of a pioneering project with real-world translational impact.
 

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage day-to-day project operations and milestones.
• Oversee the design, optimization, and integration of Raman and OFCRDS-based diagnostic systems.
• Coordinate sample collection, testing, and validation activities with clinical partners.
• Supervise and mentor a team of graduate students and research assistants.
• Drive data analysis, interpretation, and visualization.
• Take the lead on writing manuscripts, reports, and grant proposals.
• Facilitate collaboration among local and international research partners

Duration: 3-4 years
Starting date: 1st Aug 2025 or earlier