You hold a Master's degree in Applied Mathematics, Physics, Engineering in Mechanical Engineering, Mechanics, Bioscience Engineering, Computer Science or a related field. You have experience in software development and knowledge of both theoretical and practical aspects of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and physical modeling techniques. Familiarity with the Discrete Element Method (DEM), coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CG-MD) or various method of particle-flow coupling is a plus.
As a young and ambitious lab, we are looking for a motivated and creative candidate who is eager to develop their own research vision and at the same time wants to work together in a team to push the boundaries of science. You are enthusiastic about learning new programming languages such as Python and C++ and building expertise in high-performance computing and advanced computational methods.
You have demonstrated excellence, either through exceptional academic performance, active participation in extracurricular activities, research results or other indicators.
Many processes across biological, industrial, and environmental systems involve the interaction of complex biological materials with fluid flow. These include biological organisms, fluidic devices, bioreactors, as well as applications in waste management, pharmaceuticals, food technology, and agriculture. While the Discrete Element Method (DEM) has significantly advanced in simulating particulate materials, including heterogeneous, flexible, and arbitrarily shaped particles, the interaction of these materials with fluid flows—essential for designing new devices and industrial setups—remains an ongoing challenge. This is typically addressed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), but effective coupling of DEM and CFD models for complex biological materials only exists for specific cases. This PhD project will focus on developing and implementing an efficient and novel coupling between CFD (OpenFoam or Palabos) and DEM (In-house software Mpacts) to better represent the interaction between complex biological materials and fluid flow. The main goal is to enhance the mechanical and rheological descriptions of transport processes involving biological materials. The project will be conducted in collaboration with the Particulate Dynamics Research Group and the Mpacts company. This partnership will provide access to state-of-the-art simulation tools and expertise in modeling complex particulate systems.
We are the Multicellular System Dynamics Lab, a research group dedicated to understanding the dynamics and mechanical properties of multicellular materials through the study of physical interactions between their components. Our work combines experimental characterization of cell and tissue mechanics with cutting-edge simulations using advanced particle-based computational models. For this, we are developing the Mpacts software suite in collaboration with the company Mpacts (www.mpacts.com), which specializes in simulating granular flows for industrial applications using the Discrete Element Method (DEM). As part of the MeBioS research unit, we focus on exploring the interactions between biological systems and physical processes, driving innovation at the intersection of biology and engineering.
A PhD student position of 4 years, pending a positive evaluation after one year. You are expected to apply for Flemish Baekeland funding for joint projects between academia and industry.
You will enroll in the doctoral programme of the Arenberg Doctoral School (ADS) of KU Leuven.