Scientific Director

Project Overview

As the global population ages, there is an urgent need to reimagine healthcare solutions that can empower elderly individuals to live healthier, more independent lives. Emerging wearable imaging technologies offer a transformative opportunity to monitor health non-invasively, detect disease conditions earlier, and provide personalize medical diagnosis. Now is the critical moment for the research community to develop pioneering tools that will reshape elderly care process.

The Wearable Imaging for Transforming Elderly Care (WITEC) interdisciplinary research group (IRG) at SMART is committed to creating next-generation wearable imaging technologies tailored for aging populations. By combining expertise in wearable transducers, biomedical imaging, materials science, data analytics, and healthcare innovation, WITEC aims to design solutions that will improve quality of life, support preventative medicine, and reduce healthcare burdens. Specific objectives include the development of wearable ultrasound imaging systems and integration with digital health platforms for real-time monitoring and clinical decision support. Through these initiatives, WITEC seeks to set new standards for elderly care both in Singapore and globally.

WITEC brings together interdisciplinary researchers from MIT and Singaporean institutions, including hospitals and research agencies. Through deep collaboration with local partners, including clinicians, industry, and policymakers, WITEC will ensure that its technological advancements are innovative, clinically validated, and suitable for industrial scale up.

Responsibilities

The Scientific Director will provide day-to-day scientific oversight of the WITEC IRG and will assist with the development and integration of the IRG’s scientific vision, goals, and objectives. The Scientific Director is responsible for the daily scientific direction and operation of the IRG and reports to the Lead Principal Investigators. The Scientific Director will provide leadership for a diverse and dynamic team, including research scientists, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students. The position is based full-time in Singapore. Main responsibilities of the Scientific Director include:

• Assist the Principal Investigators of the WITEC program to support a team of investigators in executing technical scope and milestones of the programme;
• Participate in a Council of Investigators who will set scientific operation milestones and internal operation policies of an interdisciplinary research team and programme;
• Manage internal (within WITEC Interdisciplinary Research Group) and external communications;
• Support external partnerships and collaborations with clinical, industrial, and regulatory stakeholders;
• Act as technical expert within the wider wearable transducer and imaging device commercialization landscape in Singapore and facilitate team awareness on potential opportunities, complementary efforts by other R&D teams, and emerging production challenges in industry and clinical settings;
• Act as a subject matter expert and provide consistent co-mentorship to postdoctoral and graduate student researchers in the WITEC program;
• Represent the research programme at meetings with governmental agencies, industry sponsors, or visitors;
• Oversee financial administration of the program; and
• Perform other related duties as required.

Requirements

• Ph.D. and industrial and/or academic experience in Mechanical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field;
• Strong knowledge and deep understanding of the latest advancements in the field of wearable transducers, ultrasonic imaging, metamaterials, human-machine interface, AI technologies, and their implications for human health monitoring and diagnosis;
• Proven track record of conducting interdisciplinary research and managing scientific projects in wearable transducer development, ultrasonic imaging, particularly with experience in industry, clinical, and/or manufacturing settings;
• At least 3 years of research management in a large-scale research centre and/or academic laboratory;
• Experience in industrial research and development is highly desirable, as is experience in the creation or management of spin-off companies;
• Demonstrated ability to build strategic collaborations to strengthen and enhance the research projects;
• Proven ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder programs;
• Excellent written / verbal communication skills

Interested applicants are invited to send in their full CV/resume, cover letter and list of three references (to include reference names and contact information). We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.