Duke University, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Position ID:
Duke-Civil and Environmental Engineering-PDA_KATUL [#31479]
Position Title:
Postdoctoral Associate
Position Location:
Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States of America
Subject Area:
Appl Deadline:
(posted 2026/01/06, listed until 2026/01/14)
Position Description:
Position Description
Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Network Physics of Plant Water–Carbon Transport at the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke University Position Summary: The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering seeks a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow to contribute to a collaborative project between Duke University (DU) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to advancing a first-principles, network-based framework for plant water and carbon transport under climate extremes. The successful candidate will work at the interface of plant physiology, fluid mechanics, network theory, numerical methods, and Earth system modeling to develop and evaluate a coupled xylem–phloem transport framework that translates multiscale physics into next-generation vegetation model schemes. Key Responsibilities: 1) Model Development: Construct mechanistic coupled xylem–phloem models using first-principles representations of axial and radial transport including a Hagen–Poiseuille flow, Sampson flow, membrane transport, and ray-cell coupling of xylem and phloem. 2) Network Development: Combine the physics of water and sucrose movement with anatomical traits to arrive at a network representation for water and sucrose movement. 3) Vulnerability Analysis: Use the developed network representation to explore how the plant hydraulic network responds to progressive drought stress; characterize cascading failure dynamics, degree distributions, coupling strengths, and conditions driving first- vs. second-order failure transitions. 4) Experimental Validation: Design, fabricate, and test 3D-printed microfluidic analogs of phloem sieve plates and other plant hydraulic elements. Conduct controlled flow-pressure experiments to evaluate aspects of the theoretical predictions and quantify resistance mechanisms, including sugar-concentration effects. 5) ESM Integration: Develop reduced-order network representation that can be integrated into Earth System Models (ESMs). Implement and evaluate improved phloem–xylem formulations into existing land-surface or vegetation model platforms, conduct uncertainty and sensitivity analyses, and compare against publicly available sap-flow and environmental data. 6) Mentoring & Collaboration: Work with undergraduate students who wish to participate in the experimental phase; collaborate with an interdisciplinary team spanning fluid mechanics, plant biology, and climate modeling. Required Qualifications: Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics, Physics or Applied Mathematics, Earth System Science, or a related quantitative field. Strong background in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, transport processes, numerical modeling, and network theory. Familiarity with plant hydraulics (xylem/phloem transport), osmotically driven flow, and biomechanical modeling. Demonstrated experience in scientific programming (Python, MATLAB, C/Fortran, or equivalent) and high-performance computing workflows. Proven ability to work across disciplines and manage complex modeling tasks. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Experience in operating ESMs (e.g., Noah-MP, CLM, ED2) is desirable but not required. Appointment Details: This post-doctoral position is a full-time, 12-month appointment with annual renewal contingent on performance and funding availability. The position provides opportunities for professional development, interdisciplinary collaboration with physicists and ecologists at LANL, DU, and Columbia University as well as mentorship of undergraduate students in experimental fluid mechanics.Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.
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Application Materials Required:
Submit the following items online at this website to complete your application:
- Cover letter
- Curriculum Vitae
- Three references (no actual letters, just names and email addresses
)
And anything else requested in the position description.
Further Info: