Postdoctoral Position: Mechanics of Biological Systems in Health and Disease

Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology (LIBST)

Organisation/Company Université catholique de Louvain Department Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology (LIBST) Research Field Other Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Postdoc Positions Final date to receive applications 5 Mar 2026 - 09:00 (Europe/Brussels) Country Belgium Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37.5 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Postdoctoral Position:
Mechanics of Biological Systems in Health and Disease

We invite applications for a postdoctoral research position focused on the mechanical characterization of biological systems in health and disease, combining atomic force microscopy (AFM), advanced fluorescence and confocal microscopy, and quantitative biophysics. The project aims to elucidate how mechanical properties and forces emerge from molecular and structural organization, and how these properties are altered by pathological processes across multiple biological scales.

The position is available in the team of Dr. Andra

C. Dumitru in the nBIO group at LIBST, UCLouvain, within a highly interdisciplinary research environment with access to state-of-the-art instrumentation for nanomechanical probing of soft matter and correlative imaging.

Project background

Biological systems are mechanically heterogeneous and dynamically regulated, spanning molecular assemblies, subcellular structures, cells, and tissues. Mechanical properties are tightly coupled to biochemical composition, structural organization, and post-translational modifications, and play a central role in regulating biological function. In parallel, mechanical alterations are increasingly recognized as hallmarks of disease, affecting cellular behavior, tissue organization, and mechanosensitive signaling pathways.

Despite major advances, a quantitative and multiscale understanding of how molecular-scale changes translate into altered mechanical phenotypes at the cellular and tissue levels remains incomplete. Addressing this gap requires experimental approaches capable of probing mechanics with high spatial resolution while integrating structural, biochemical, and imaging-based techniques.

This postdoctoral project addresses these challenges by combining AFM-based force measurements, confocal microscopy, and biophysical analysis to investigate how mechanical properties are generated, regulated, and perturbed in disease-relevant biological systems, with a particular emphasis on cells, nuclei, and tissues.

You will work at the interface of experimental biophysics, mechanobiology, and quantitative biology, developing and applying innovative approaches to characterize mechanical phenotypes across scales. Research directions may include:

• Quantitative mechanical measurements of single molecules, cells, nuclei, and tissues
• AFM-based force spectroscopy, indentation, and correlative AFM–confocal approaches
• Investigation of structure–mechanics relationships, including the role of post-translational modifications
• Mechanical phenotyping in physiological and disease contexts (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases)
• Integration of mechanical data with imaging-based and molecular readouts
• Development of new experimental or analytical pipelines for multiscale mechanical analysis

The project is intentionally open and offers substantial freedom to shape research directions based on the candidate’s expertise and interests, while remaining aligned with the group’s core focus on mechanics and disease.

Profile

We are looking for a candidate who has:

• A PhD in Physics, Chemistry, Biophysics, or a closely related field
• Experience with atomic force microscopy or related scanning probe techniques
• Background or strong interest in single-molecule, cell, or tissue mechanics
• Interest in interdisciplinary research at the interface of physics, biology, and chemistry
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a research team
• Strong scientific communication skills in spoken and written English

We offer

• A fully funded postdoctoral position for 1 year, with possibility of extension
• Access to state-of-the-art AFM and advanced imaging platforms
• A highly interdisciplinary and collaborative research environment within LIBST, UCLouvain
• Opportunities for scientific independence, method development, and career development
• Integration into an active international network in biophysics and mechanobiology

Application

Interested candidates should submit:

• A brief statement of research interests and motivation
• Contact information for 2–3 referees willing to provide letters of recommendation

Applications and informal inquiries should be sent to Dr. Andra

C. Dumitru by email.