진학프로석·박사 채용 접수 플랫폼

A one-year postdoctoral position is available at LJAD, starting on January 1, 2026. We areseeking a motivated early-career researcher in applied mathematics, physics, or engineering,with expertise in fluid mechanics1, non-Newtonian fluids, numerical methods, and scientificcomputing2. Background or strong interest in applications to biology or physiology will behighly valued.

Skills in writing scientific articles in English, as well as preparing and delivering presentationsin English at workshops, scientific congresses, or conferences, are essential. An interestin science communication and outreach will be appreciated.The bronchial mucus coats the walls of the bronchi and serves as a protective barrier forthe bronchial epithelium. Mucus captures external particles (pollution, bacteria, viruses,etc.) and removes them from the airways via mucociliary clearance, which moves the mucusupward along the bronchial tree to the tracheopharyngeal pathway, where it is eliminated.Air–bronchial mucus interactions play an important role in regulating bronchial mucus, particularlyin pathologies that induce an excess of mucus in the airways. Coughing relies on theseinteractions to rapidly displace and eliminate bronchial mucus from the airways. However,the detailed biophysical processes underlying this phenomenon remain to be fully elucidated.

The post-doctoral project will focus on the physics of air–mucus interactions in the bronchiduring coughing, i.e., under high-velocity airflow conditions. The fellow will study the dynamicsof air–mucus interfaces, the impact of airway geometry, and the relationships betweenmucus motion, airflow properties, and the main rheological characteristics of mucus such asyield stress, viscosity, and elasticity. Simplified mucus models will be employed to capturethe influence of its key features, typically using Bingham-elastic or Herschel–Bulkley fluidmodels.

The study will be carried out using OpenFOAM, an open-source CFD software with turbulence,bi-fluid, and non-Newtonian modeling capabilities. Alternative equivalent softwareknown to the candidate may also be used where appropriate.Building on proof-of-concept simulations previously developed at LJAD, the postdoctoralfellow will perform dimensional analyses of the nonlinear governing equations, followed bynew sets of numerical simulations, to identify and characterize air–mucus interactions acrossa range of airway geometries (e.g., cylindrical tubes, airway bifurcations, etc.).The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary research team involved in the projectsBronchoClogDrain and VirtualChest. These projects aim to characterize mucus displacementin the bronchial tree in relation to its rheological properties. Both BronchoClogDrain andVirtualChest bring together biologists, biophysicists, and applied mathematicians.The postdoctoral fellow will contribute to the development of the ”lung modeling” researchgroup at LJAD (currently two permanent researchers). She/he will also be part of theadministrative team Interfaces des Math´ematiques et Syst`emes Complexes, which gathersresearchers from applied mathematics, biology, physics, and chemistry.A possible extension for a second year may be considered, but would depend on the successof funding applications submitted during the first year.For further information, please contact Benjamin Mauroy, benjamin.mauroy@univ-cotedazur.fr.Applications should include a resume and cover letter, and be sent to the following address:benjamin.mauroy@univ-cotedazur.fr.