Post-Doctoral Research Visit F/M RADIOS - Retinal atrophy: direct & inverse problems & simulations [Action Exploratoire (AEx)]

Contract type : Fixed-term contract

Level of qualifications required : PhD or equivalent

Fonction : Post-Doctoral Research Visit

Context

This project focuses on the study of mathematical models for physiology and pathology of the retina, with a specific interest in degenerative diseases such as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The overall objective is to develop new mathematical models and techniques, to deepen interdisciplinary knowledge, and to improve simulation algorithms for medical research. The general objective will be approached from different perspectives depending on the specific problem at hand, combining techniques from mathematical analysis, partial differential equations (PDEs), numerical analysis, scientific computing, bio-mechanical modelling, data analysis and artificial intelligence.

The project is intrinsically interdisciplinary and interconnected with Laboratoire Jacques-Louis Lions (UMR 7598), Centre Inria de Paris (équipe MUSCLEES), Hôpital National des Quinze-Vingts (Paris Eye Imaging), Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université and Université Paris Cité. The rich research environment offers frequent talks and visits by esteemed researchers, favouring opportunities for collaboration with leading groups in Europe and globally.

The team is working towards a complete simulation pipeline for (dry) AMD progression, from fundus images to simulated atrophy growth and tissue deformation.

Starting date: no later than October 2026.

Assignment

The successful candidate will take part in a subset of the following interdisciplinary research directions:

Modelling the bio-mechanical properties of the cell monolayer of Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE) and their changes due to senescence by means of microscopic and/or macroscopic models.
Modelling the growth of lesions in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium in presence of Age-related Macular Degeneration by means of microscopic and/or macroscopic models.
Bridging across scales: connecting Individual-Based Models for the interactions of epithelial-cell populations structured in size with PDE models at the tissue scale.
Improving the existing simulation pipeline based on Finite Element Methods for the description of the tissue as a visco-elastic material in 2D or 3D.
Improving the existing automatic or semi-automatic segmentation algorithms for fundus images of AMD patients and building AI tools to support predictive studies of disease progression.
Reconstruction of the disease onset: establishing the probable degeneration history before the appearance of AMD lesions with classical and/or AI tools.
Inference of key bio-mechanical parameters from tissue data with classical and/or AI tools.
Modelling certain aspects of retinal metabolism related to the renewal of photoreceptor outer segments and the formation of drusen and/or toxic byproducts such as A2E.
Refinement and validation of reaction-diffusion models for the biochemistry of the visual cycle in rods and cones.

For further details, see the references below or contact L. Alasio (INRIA & LJLL).

References:

Curcio CA, Kar D, Owsley C, Sloan KR, Ach T. Age-related macular degeneration, a mathematically tractable disease. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science. 2024.
Hernandez RJ, Roberts PA, El-Bouri WK. Advancing treatment of retinal disease through in silico trials. Progress in Biomedical Engineering. 2023.
Paques M, Norberg N, Chaumette C, Sennlaub F, Rossi E, Borella Y, Grieve K. Long term time-lapse imaging of geographic atrophy: a pilot study. Frontiers in Medicine. 2022.
Rossant F, Paques M. Normalization of series of fundus images to monitor the geographic atrophy growth in dry age-related macular degeneration. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine. 2021.
Sala L, Prud'Homme C, Guidoboni G, Szopos M, Harris A. The ocular mathematical virtual simulator: A validated multiscale model for hemodynamics and biomechanics in the human eye. International journal for numerical methods in biomedical engineering. 2024.
Doumic M, Hecht S, Hoffmann M, Peurichard D. Scaling limits for a population model with growth, division and cross-diffusion. Mathematical Models and Methods in Applied Sciences. 2025.
Gaffney E, Byrne H, Roberts P, Luthert P, Fossbyrne A. Mathematical and computational models of the retina in health, development and disease. Progress in Retinal and Eye Research. 2016.
Tlili S, Gay C, Graner F, Marcq P, Molino F, Saramito P. Colloquium: Mechanical formalisms for tissue dynamics. The European Physical Journal E. 2015.
Kiser PD, Golczak M, Palczewski K. Chemistry of the retinoid (visual) cycle. Chemical reviews. 2014.
Lamb TD, Pugh Jr EN. Dark adaptation and the retinoid cycle of vision. Progress in retinal and eye research. 2004.

Main activities

Develop and test new mathematical models, methods and algorithms for tasks such as image segmentation, mesh construction, PDE approximation, scaling limits, model calibration, efficient simulation pipeline.
Propose new approaches, contribute to experiment design and parameter estimation.
Conduct numerical simulations, sensitivity analysis and contribute to the model validation.
Analyse, criticise and improve both theoretical and applied results with classical and/or AI tools.
Write scientific articles, codes, documentation and reports, often with multiple co-authors.
Present new results at conferences and workshops.
Contribute to the activities of équipe MUSCLEES.
Bibliographic work, interdisciplinary exchange.

Skills

The candidate must have the following skills:

Strong background in PDEs and Mathematical Biology, or related fields.
Advanced programming skills, prior experience with FreeFEM, FEniCS, MATLAB or Python is expected.
Proficiency in both written and spoken English, and in scientific communication in general.
Ability and initiative in building upon previous results and integrating new methods.
Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment, with frequent and constructive interactions with other members of the research group (students, engineers, researchers, clinicians, visitors, etc.).

Benefits package

Subsidized meals
Partial reimbursement of public transport costs
Leave: 7 weeks of annual leave + 10 extra days off due to RTT (statutory reduction in working hours) + possibility of exceptional leave (sick children, moving home, etc.)
Possibility of teleworking (after 6 months of employment) and flexible organization of working hours
Professional equipment available (videoconferencing, loan of computer equipment, etc.)
Social, cultural and sports events and activities
Health insurance (compulsory as from May 2026)

Apply for this position

General Information

Theme/Domain : Modeling and Control for Life Sciences
Scientific computing (BAP E)
Town/city : Paris
Inria Center : Centre Inria de Paris
Starting date : 2026-04-01
Duration of contract : 2 years
Deadline to apply : 2026-02-10

Warning : you must enter your e-mail address in order to save your application to Inria. Applications must be submitted online on the Inria website. Processing of applications sent from other channels is not guaranteed.

Instruction to apply

Required Documents for the application (in a single PDF file)

Motivation letter explaining how the candidate’s background, skills, and research interests align with the objectives of the project ;
Complete curriculum vitae ;
List of publications (including PhD thesis and preprints), specifying the candidate’s personal contribution to each item. Please provide DOIs and/or URLs ;
Contact information of supervisors, mentors, or co-authors who can provide letters of recommendation.

Defence Security :
This position is likely to be situated in a restricted area (ZRR), as defined in Decree No. 2011-1425 relating to the protection of national scientific and technical potential (PPST).Authorisation to enter an area is granted by the director of the unit, following a favourable Ministerial decision, as defined in the decree of 3 July 2012 relating to the PPST. An unfavourable Ministerial decision in respect of a position situated in a ZRR would result in the cancellation of the appointment.

Recruitment Policy :
As part of its diversity policy, all Inria positions are accessible to people with disabilities.

Contacts

Inria Team : MUSCLEES
Recruiter :
Alasio Luca / luca.alasio@inria.fr

The keys to success

The ideal candidate will have a deep knowledge of Applied Mathematics, PDEs/Bio-mechanics, Mathematical Biology and Interdisciplinary Research.
Advanced knowledge of Numerical Analysis of PDEs and Scientific Computing will be a real asset.
Experience in the use of the conventional tools of Statistics is expected.
On the personal side, a strong interest towards research in Applied Mathematics and Biology is expected.
Very good skills in oral and written communication are crucial, as well as originality of thought, open-mindedness and capacity to work individually and in a team.
The candidate must have an excellent track record and a PhD thesis/list of publications in pertinent domains.

About Inria

Inria is the French national research institute dedicated to digital science and technology. It employs 2,600 people. Its 200 agile project teams, generally run jointly with academic partners, include more than 3,500 scientists and engineers working to meet the challenges of digital technology, often at the interface with other disciplines. The Institute also employs numerous talents in over forty different professions. 900 research support staff contribute to the preparation and development of scientific and entrepreneurial projects that have a worldwide impact.