Dr Dominic Jones

Profile

I am a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Medical Robotics at the University of Leeds and the founder of the ARISE Lab, established in late 2025 to advance research in autonomy and intelligent systems for robot-assisted surgery.

My research brings together surgical robotics, robotic perception, sensing and intelligent control, with the aim of developing increasingly autonomous robotic systems capable of supporting surgeons during complex procedures.

My background spans biomedical engineering, robotic sensing and surgical robotics. I completed my PhD in Healthcare Mechatronics at the University of Leeds in 2019, investigating tactile sensing technologies for laparoscopic instruments. I subsequently worked on wearable sensing for biomechanical assessment and surgical robotics research within the STORM Lab, before being appointed Lecturer in Medical Robotics in 2023.

In late 2025, I founded the ARISE Lab to establish a dedicated research programme focused on advancing autonomy in robot-assisted surgery.

Responsibilities

• Module Leader: ELEC3901 - Robot Manipulators

Research interests

My research focuses on advancing autonomy in robot-assisted surgery, developing intelligent robotic systems that can perceive, understand and respond to the complex and dynamic surgical environment.

I am particularly interested in how we can move beyond conventional teleoperation towards surgical robots that can actively support surgeons, adapt to changing conditions and autonomously perform elements of surgical procedures. My work explores how robotic perception, intelligent control and machine learning can enable increasingly capable, reliable and collaborative surgical systems.

My wider ambition is to develop surgical robotic systems that combine the precision of robotic technology with the adaptability and decision-making capabilities required for increasingly autonomous surgical assistance.

Qualifications

• BEng, MEng (2015) - Biomedical Engineering - University of Leeds
• PhD (2019) - Healthcare Mechatronics - University of Leeds

Professional memberships

• Member - IEEE

Research groups and institutes

• Institute of Robotics, Autonomous Systems and Sensing

Current postgraduate researchers

• Charles DeLorey
• Omar Choudhry