PhD Position for Advanced Nearest Neighbour Models for Active Matter

Universiteit van Amsterdam, Korteweg - de Vries Institute for Mathematics
Position ID:
1729 -PHDPOSITION1 [#26749]
Position Title:
Position Location:
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland 1091, Netherlands (Kingdom of the) [map ]
Subject Area:
Advanced Nearest Neighbour Models for Active Matter
Appl Deadline:
2025/08/10 11:59PM (posted 2025/07/14, listed until 2025/08/10)
Position Description:
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Position Description
Join us in seeking exciting new developments using graph theory in nearest neighbor models for active matter! Do you enjoy working with graph theory, and seeing how functions on graphs can inform real-world applications? Are you fascinated by how the local dynamics of nearest neighbour models can determine the macroscale behaviour of a system? Do you want to understand how matter self-organizes? Then consider advancing these theories with us. In this project, we aim to extend the powerful tools of statistical mechanics on graph and network models to broader applications in soft and active matter, that is, the emergent behavior of living materials that can move independently. We will incorporate multi-body interactions such as cell volume energy terms as hypergraphs and higher-order external fields that influence cell motility and arise in classical models of cell sheets such as the Vertex and cellular Potts models. We will specifically consider dynamic graphs that can reorganize, both for cell sheet models in 2d, and for experimental 3d systems of entangled active polymers that share properties with clusters of living worms.

This project involves an interdisciplinary team with broad synergy across mathematics, physics, and biology whose members are:

Senja Barthel -- https://research.vu.nl/en/persons/senja-barthel Antoine Deblais -- https://www.deb-lab.com/ Joanna Ellis-Monaghan https://kdvi.uva.nl/research/discrete-mathematics-and-quantum-information/discrete-mathematics-and-quantum-information.html#Academic-Staff Silke Henkes -- https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/science/physics/biological-matter/henkes-group , Han Peters -- https://kdvi.uva.nl/research/pana/analysis.html Guus Regts -- https://kdvi.uva.nl/research/discrete-mathematics-and-quantum-information/discrete-mathematics-and-quantum-information.html#Academic-Staff This project is conducted under the auspices of the consortium Emergence at all Scales (EAAS). EAAS is the national flag-carrier of the NWA route 2 game changer Dutch Institute for Emergent Phenomena (d-iep.org). EAAS combines 8 Dutch and 1 Ukrainian university as well as Statistics Netherlands (CBS) in an interdisciplinary and collaborative endeavour aimed at understanding emergent phenomena across scales, combining multiple fields including physics, mathematics, astronomy, history & philosophy of science, and social science. Its approach to societal engagement throughout the project’s 5-year lifetime is equally interdisciplinary, with a wide variety of activities ranging from art/science programmes, large scale science festivals, citizen science and educational initiatives at various levels. EAAS is hiring a total of 20 PhD/postdoc scientists to join the team, and our project/group leaders share the ambition of gender parity in hires across EAAS. Within this context we invite interested candidates to apply for the PhD/PD position, and work on the sub-project Phase Transitions in Active Matter. We particularly encourage women and candidates from other under-represented groups to apply.

This is what you will do Tasks and responsibilities:

If selected for this position you are expected to participate in the various scientific activities, meetings and workshops of the EAAS consortium; form interdisciplinary collaborations across fields and geographical locations within the Netherlands; acquire skills by active participation in science communication activities, interacting with public audiences and taking part in a pilot programme where experience can be acquired in high school science teaching; use graph theoretical tools to develop new fundamental frameworks and analytic tools for more broadly applicable statistical mechanics models; test possible applications of your approach on artificial and real data; write scientific texts and publish your work in peer-reviewed international journals (during the PhD, you will initially work on a pre-specified subproject of your choosing, which allows you to develop your knowledge of the topic and research skills. As you gain experience, you will increasingly shape your own research directions); present your work in seminars, and at national and international workshops and conferences; attend the weekly seminars and discussion days at participating institutes; participate in teaching at the KdVI and assist with the supervision of related research projects for Bachelor and Master students; participate in the Faculty of Science PhD training program; complete and defend a PhD thesis within the appointment duration of four years. What we ask of you Your experience and profile:

You have a masters in mathematics, or a joint masters including mathematics, e.g. math/physics or math/biology; You have a good command of spoken and written English, especially writing formal mathematical proofs; You are productive working both independently and with a team; You have experience or interest in teaching with an encouraging style. This is what we offer you A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The preferred starting date is as soon as possible, but ideally no later than 1 Jan 2026. This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.

You will work in this team The Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The Korteweg-de Vries Instituut voor Wiskunde (KdV Institute) is the mathematical research institute of the Faculty of Science of the Universiteit van Amsterdam, where this project will be based. The KdV Institute offers a stimulating scientific environment in which research focuses mainly within the research programmes (1) Algebra, Geometry and Mathematical Physics, (2) Pure, Applied and Numerical Analysis, and (3) Stochastics and (4) Discrete Mathematics and Quantum Information. It also provides the lecturers and instructors for the mathematics teaching within the Science Faculty. The KdV Institute participates in the NWO research clusters GQT, STAR, NDNS+ and DIAMANT and in the Gravity programme NETWORKS. There is formal (and informal) cooperation with the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI), the VU University, and with Eurandom in Eindhoven. KdVI counts about 40 staff members and 50 postdocs and PhD students.
We are not accepting applications for this job through MathJobs.Org right now. Please apply at https://werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies/phd-position-for-advanced-nearest-neighbour-models-for-active-matter-netherlands-14247 .

Contact: Prof. dr. Jo Ellis-Monaghan

Email:

Postal Mail:

P.O. Box 94248
1090 GE Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Web Page: http://kdvi.uva.nl