Two UKRI Future Leader Fellows here at Manchester
18 Sep 2025
Interdisciplinary researcher in cancer treatment, Eliana Maria Vasquez Osorio is one of 77 academics awarded prestigious Fellowship, and our University hosts a second Fellow.
Senior research fellow and computer scientist, Dr Eliana Maria Vasquez Osorio is one 77 talented early-career researchers awarded a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship.
The flagship funding programme provides a total of £120m to the fellows to lead vital research, collaborate with innovators and develop their careers as the research and innovation leaders of the future.
The fund also allows universities and businesses to develop talented early career researchers and innovators and attract new people to their organisations, including from overseas.
Eliana studied computer sciences at the Universidad EAFIT, Medellin Colombia, and did her PhD at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, The Netherlands before coming to Manchester.
Now based at the Paterson building, her areas of expertise include image processing, non-rigid image registration, computational geometry, deformation modelling and treatment outcome modelling. She also works with artificial intelligence techniques to solve radiotherapy problems.
Eliana said: “I am truly honoured to receive this Fellowship, which will allow me to build on my interdisciplinary expertise and develop new methods to improve the safety of cancer re-treatment.
“We have made significant progress in treating cancer, so more and more people are now living longer after surviving it. But we urgently need better tools and evidence to guide decisions when cancer returns.
“Through this Fellowship, I will develop innovative approaches to map treatment radiation doses and use causal analysis to generate robust evidence on risks and outcomes. I will be working with several experts within the UK and beyond to achieve this. This work will support clinicians in making more informed decisions and, ultimately, improve care for patients.”
In addition, Dr Eder Zavala’s Future Leader Fellowship will also be hosted at the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology here at Manchester. Currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Metabolism and Systems Science at the University of Birmingham, Eder will develop personalised tools that support the prevention, diagnosis and management of endocrine conditions. In his FLF, Eder will mathematically analyse continuous, high-frequency, endocrine data and develop computer algorithms that predict the relationship between hormonal dynamics and regulatory mechanisms relevant for disease.
"My long-term vision is personalised tools that support the prevention, diagnosis and management of endocrine conditions,” Eder explains. “In my FLF, I will mathematically analyse continuous, high-frequency, endocrine data and develop computer algorithms that predict the relationship between hormonal dynamics and regulatory mechanisms relevant for disease.”
Frances Burstow, Director of Talent and Skills at UKRI, said: "UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships provide researchers and innovators with long-term support and training to embark on large and complex research programmes, to address key national and global challenges.
“The programme supports the research and innovation leaders of the future to transcend disciplinary and sector boundaries, bridging the gap between academia and business.”
UKRI Chief Executive, Professor Sir Ian Chapman, said: “UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships offer long-term support to outstanding researchers, helping them turn bold ideas into innovations that improve lives and livelihoods in the UK and beyond.
“These fellowships continue to drive excellence and accelerate the journey from discovery to public benefit. I wish them every success.”
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