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Mechanistic and Interpretable AI for Personalised Eczema Severity Forecasting

Join the Tanaka Group and the AI for Healthcare Centre at Imperial College London as a PhD student and contribute to the development of next-generation AI technologies that will transform personalised eczema care. This exciting PhD project, in collaboration with Pierre Fabre Laboratories, will develop mechanistic and interpretable artificial intelligence methods capable of forecasting eczema severity at the individual patient level. By combining machine learning, Bayesian modelling, biology, and digital health, the project aims to empower patients to anticipate symptom changes, understand the biological mechanisms driving their disease, and make more informed treatment decisions through a smartphone application. The project is expected to start in October 2026 and offers the opportunity to conduct impactful translational research at the intersection of AI, computational biology, bioengineering, and clinical medicine while working closely with both academic and industrial partners. PROJECT OVERVIEW Eczema is the most common allergic skin disease, affecting millions of people worldwide. Its symptoms fluctuate unpredictably, making disease management challenging and significantly impacting patients’ quality of life. Despite recent advances in digital health, there are currently no tools capable of accurately forecasting eczema severity for individual patients. In this project, you will develop interpretable AI models that integrate multiple sources of patient data, including: * Smartphone images of affected skin. * Patient-reported symptom severity and clinical outcomes. * Skin barrier measurements. * Skin microbiome data. Unlike conventional black-box machine learning models, your research will embed biological disease mechanisms within Bayesian modelling frameworks to generate explainable predictions linked directly to the underlying biology. These biologically grounded forecasts will provide clinically meaningful insights for both patients and healthcare professionals, supporting more personalised disease management. The successful candidate will work within a highly interdisciplinary team spanning artificial intelligence, clinical medicine, computational biology, and pharmaceutical research. SUPERVISORY TEAM The project will be jointly supervised by: * Professor Reiko Tanaka, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London (AI & Computational Systems Medicine) * Professor Adnan Custovic, National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London (Clinical Medicine) * Dr Gwendal Josse, Pierre Fabre Laboratories (Industry Supervisor) WHO SHOULD APPLY? We are looking for highly motivated and enthusiastic applicants with: * A strong Master’s degree in Mathematics, Statistics, Machine Learning, Engineering, Computer Science, Computational Biology, or a closely related discipline. * Excellent mathematical, programming, and analytical skills. * Strong written and verbal communication skills. * Excellent interpersonal skills and enthusiasm for working in collaborative, interdisciplinary academic and industrial environments. * A genuine interest in applying AI to real-world healthcare challenges. Previous experience in Bayesian modelling, machine learning, computational biology, or mechanistic modelling is desirable but not essential. FUNDING This studentship is fully funded for Home (UK) students only. The studentship includes: * Full Home tuition fees. * An annual tax-free stipend of £23,805 (2026–27 rate). * An enhanced stipend of up to £31,000 per year for students participating in the TechExpert Pilot. * Funding for at least 3 years (up to 4 years). * Additional travel funding to attend leading international AI conferences, including ICML, AISTATS, and MLHC. WHY JOIN US? At the Tanaka Group and the AI4Health Centre, you will join a supportive, diverse, and internationally recognised research environment dedicated to advancing AI for healthcare. You will benefit from: * Working on an exciting interdisciplinary project with direct clinical and industrial impact. * Close collaboration with world-leading researchers, clinicians, and industry scientists. * Opportunities to develop cutting-edge expertise in interpretable AI, Bayesian modelling, computational biology, and digital health. * A friendly and inclusive team committed to supporting your research and career development. * The opportunity to develop AI technologies with the potential to improve the lives of patients living with eczema. HOW TO APPLY For further information about the AI4Health Programme, please visit the AI4Health Centre website. If you have any questions about the studentship, please contact the AI4Health admissions team at ai4health-admissions@imperial.ac.uk. Applications are expected to open through the AI4Health Centre. Please refer to the programme website for application details and deadlines.