Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Ingénieur pour l'Environnement (LaSIE) - UMR CNRS 7356

[PostDoc] Developing a cumulative and combined indicator of thermal comfort and air quality

Emmanuel Bozonnet — 2026-05-18T06:37:21Z

[PostDoc] Developing a cumulative and combined indicator of thermal comfort and air quality

Context

Amid climate change and rapid urbanization, cities face the growing challenge of overheating. Extreme events - such as heatwaves - are becoming more frequent, intense, and prolonged during summer months, and the urban heat island phenomenon exacerbates their effects. Therefore, urban inhabitants are increasingly exposed to diverse warm microclimates in their daily routines, whether commuting between home, work, leisure, or commercial spaces, often experiencing conditions ranging from mild thermal discomfort to severe heat stress. In this context, the ANR AAPG 2024 PRCE CoolPath project aims to deepen our understanding of how urban microclimates affect pedestrian comfort. The project will address combined and cumulative exposures to heat and air pollution across the daily pathways of urban inhabitants, accounting for the diversity and variability of microenvironmental conditions encountered. Until now, the issue has been treated as a succession of independent situations, without addressing the following questions :

What is the impact of the history of thermal exposure throughout a journey on the comfort of pedestrians ? Is prolonged exposure to “slightly warm” conditions equivalent to a short period of exposure to “hot” conditions in terms of thermal discomfort ?
Thermal and air quality studies are generally conducted in isolation and at a given spatial scale. Does a high level of air pollution affect the perception of thermal comfort, and vice versa ?

Objectives and methodology

The objective of the postdoctoral research is to deepen our understanding [1-4] of how pedestrian discomfort from urban overheating and air pollution is affected by the frequency and severity of heat and air pollutant exposures over time, and to develop a new indicator that accounts for their combined and cumulative effects along pedestrian pathways in urban environment.

The postdoctoral research will consist of developing a new cumulative and combined indicator of thermal comfort and air quality considering the following steps :

Literature review on the mechanisms underlying thermal comfort over prolonged exposures.
Statistical analyses of empirical measurements and surveys collected over different outdoor pathways as part of the CoolPath project to provide deeper insights into how thermal comfort or perception of air quality is linked to the occurrence of discomfort events.
Testing the new indicator : statistical comparison with collected survey data and application in urban climate modelling tools.

Tight interdisciplinary interactions are anticipated with the other participants of the CoolPath project : air quality experts from Air Pays de la Loire, researchers involved in the experimental campaigns, and urban climate modellers.

Candidate profile

The candidate must hold a PhD or master degree with a focus on thermal/energy/building/mechanical engineering, bioengineering, biometeorology, physiology, or a related discipline.
Additional appreciated skills and expertise are :

Experience in the statistical analysis of data from scientific studies with human participants.
Knowledge regarding the interaction between humans and the thermal environment and their physiological and subjective thermal responses.
Research interest in interdisciplinary and internationally visible research.
Willingness to acquire appropriate French language skills for project communication.
Independent and accurate work ethic, a strong sense of responsibility, and the ability to integrate into a team.

How to apply

Please send your CV and motivation letter to emmanuel.bozonnet@univ-lr.fr and marika.vellei@u-bordeaux.fr, before 12/06/2026 (later applications will be considered only if the position has not been filled).

Host laboratory

Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Ingénieur pour l'Environnement (LaSIE), La Rochelle University, La Rochelle, France.

Duration

12+12 months, starting from 01/09/2026.
This Postdoc is funded by the ANR through the AAPG 2024 PRCE CoolPath project.

References

[1] B. Huang, A. Matzarakis, B.-J. He, Nonlinear law of cumulative heat exposure and dynamic thermal comfort during pedestrians' walking : Field experiments and machine learning predictions, Sustainable Cities and Society 131 (2025) 106696. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2025.106696.
[2] Z. Yang, M. Cui, H. Xiao, H. Sun, B. Wang, B. Lin, W. Shi, Analysis of thermal comfort experience using peak-end rule with air conditioner in heating season, Building and Environment 229 (2023) 109965. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.109965.
[3] H. Zhao, L. Zhao, Y. Zhai, L. Jin, Q. Meng, J. Yan, R. Wu, R.D. Brown, The impact of dynamic thermal experiences on pedestrian thermal comfort : A whole-trip perspective from laboratory studies, Building and Environment 258 (2024) 111599.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111599.
[4] Y. Zhao, D. Li, Multi-domain indoor environmental quality in buildings : A review of their interaction and combined effects on occupant satisfaction, Building and Environment 228 (2023) 109844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.109844.

Design of high-end Ni-base single crystal superalloy for turbine blade applications

Marie Landeiro Dos Reis — 2026-04-21T15:31:31Z

Date : 12 Mai à 14h

Lieu : Salle Barthélémy

Résumé :
Ni-base single crystal superalloys for turbine blade application are key material for thermal efficiency of gas turbine systems. NIMS has been working on the new superalloy development since 1980s, and continuing efforts have achieved the development of sixth generation single crystal superalloy TMS-238 with superior creep properties [1,2]. The key factor determining high-temperature creep performance of TMS-238 is the combination of solid-solution strengthening by Re addition, γ/γ′ interfacial strengthening by large lattice misfit, and γ/γ′ phase stabilization by Ru addition. Recent development has shown the potential for further improvement by addition of Ir as an alloying element, achieving world's best creep life of over 4000 h at 1100 ℃ and 137 MPa condition [3]. Effect of Ir addition on the high temperature properties of the material will be discussed in the presentation.

[1] H. Harada, M. Yamazaki, Y. Koizumi, N. Sakuma, N. Furuya, H. Kamiya, Alloy Design for Nickel-Base Superalloys BT - High Temperature Alloys for Gas Turbines 1982, in : R. Brunetaud, D. Coutsouradis, T.B. Gibbons, Y. Lindblom, D.B. Meadowcroft, R. Stickler (Eds.), Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, 1982 : pp. 721–735.
[2] K. Kawagishi, A. Yeh, T. Yokokawa, T. Kobayashi, Y. Koizumi, H. Harada, Development of an Oxidation-resistant High-Strength Sixth-Generation Single-Crystal Superalloy TMS-238, in : Superalloys 2012, 2012 : pp. 189–195. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118516430.ch21.
[3] S. Utada, T. Yokokawa, T. Kobayashi, M. Yuyama, H. Harada, T. Osada, K. Kawagishi, Challenging the Limit of Strengthening by γ/γ′ Lattice Misfit on the High Temperature Creep Properties of Ni-Base Single Crystal Superalloy, Metall. Mater. Trans. A 57 (2026) 1794–1812. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-025-08089-5.

Effect of impurity S and its suppression method on oxidation resistance of Ni-base single crystal superalloys

Marie Landeiro Dos Reis — 2026-04-21T14:45:27Z

Date : 12 Mai 14h

Lieu : Salle Barthélémy

Résumé :
Ni-base single-crystal superalloys, used as turbine blades for the hottest regions of the jet engines and gas turbines, exhibit excellent mechanical and environmental properties at high temperatures. These alloys contain several rare metals, and with the increase in the manufacturing cost, recycling of these alloys is crucial. However, impurities, especially sulfur (S), enter the alloy during usage, drastically decreasing its oxidation resistance. Therefore, methods to remove these impurities while recycling are needed. One method is to use CaO crucibles during the melting process before casting. Compared to the conventional melting method using Al2O3 crucibles, the oxidation resistance of molten alloys melted using the CaO crucible was higher, even when the impurity S contents of the samples were about the same. However, its mechanism was unclear. In this study, we clarified how the impurity S contents, as well as the different types of crucibles used during melting, can affect the oxidation resistance of Ni-base superalloys at 800 ℃ and 1100 ℃.

Fluid-driven fracture propagation under seismic loadings

Marie Landeiro Dos Reis — 2026-04-21T14:27:24Z

Date : 21 Mai, 14h

Lieu : MSI, Amphi 100

Résumé :
Quasi-brittle materials, such as concrete, rocks, ceramics and some composites, exhibit complex non-
linear behaviors that lie between brittle and ductile failure. Fluid-driven fracture propagation is a
multiscale, multiphysics phenomenon that involves crack initiation and propagation, fluid diffusion
into the fractured medium and hydraulic fracture interactions with natural fractures etc. This physical
process is encountered in many practical situations (hydraulic fracturing of dams [1], Enhanced
geothermal systems, petroleum engineering etc.). Under seismic excitations, the cyclic nature of
loadings complicates this interaction due to transient pressure variations and the phenomenon of crack
opening/closing.
This talk is about computational modelling of fluid-driven fracture propagation under seismic
loadings. The fracture process is described within the framework of the Finite Element Method using
a continuum regularized approach [2]. The fluid-fracture interactions are described within the
framework of a poromechanical approach [1]. Finally, The mathematical tools and the numerical
strategy are exposed.

[1] Bessaid MI, Matallah M, Rouissat B. A poromechanical-damage-based-model for water-driven
fracture modeling of concrete gravity dams. Int J Numer Anal Methods Geomech. 2022 ; 46 : 469–
485. https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.3308
[2]Matallah, M., La Borderie, C. and Maurel, O. (2010), A practical method to estimate crack
openings in concrete structures. Int. J. Numer. Anal. Meth. Geomech., 34 : 1615-1633.
https://doi.org/10.1002/nag.876

Fonctions propres de l'oscillateur harmonique et phénomènes aléatoires

Marie Landeiro Dos Reis — 2026-04-21T14:19:49Z

Date : 7 Mai, 14h

Lieu : Pascal 000

Résumé :
On propose de présenter l'analyse harmonique d'un opérateur classique en mécanique quantique : l'oscillateur harmonique -Delta+|x|^2. On comparera cette analyse à celle des séries de Fourier. Dans un second temps, j'expliquerai des problématiques qui ont été étudiées (de façon déterministe par d'autres auteurs puis de façon probabiliste par l'orateur et ses collaborateurs). L'exposé sera dans la mesure du possible auto-contenu et aucune connaissance préalable du sujet ne sera nécessaire.

La chromatographie pour la caractérisation des matériaux (éléments minéraux et composés organiques)

Marie Landeiro Dos Reis — 2026-01-13T13:18:54Z

Date : 12 Février, 14h

Lieu : Salle Barthélémy

Résumé :
La chromatographie est une technique d'analyse séparative. Grâce à un éluant entraîné par une pompe et une colonne qui retient différemment chaque composé d'un mélange, il est possible de les séparer puis de les qualifier et/ou quantifier avec le détecteur approprié, selon l'objectif. A l'occasion de la réorganisation en plateforme, le Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Ingénieur pour l'Environnement réuni six équipements (analyse d'ions inorganiques et de composés organiques) dont trois sont actuellement fonctionnels. Le séminaire présentera les capacités analytiques et les conditions d'accès à la plateforme pour vos projets scientifiques. Il décrira les principes de fonctionnement et des applications potentielles, en s'appuyant sur des résultats qui ont alimentés des publications, des thèses, ... depuis leur acquisition. L'objectif est de faire connaître la plateforme et les technologies analytiques accessibles qui pourraient servir aux sujets scientifiques actuels et à venir.

In-situ TEM nanomechanical testing : Plasticity under the (electron) spotlight

Marie Landeiro Dos Reis — 2026-01-08T08:32:48Z

Date : 26 mars 14h
Lieu : Salle Barthélémy

Abstract :

Recently, the development of a new generation of advanced instruments for in-situ nanomechanical testing inside the transmission electron microscope (TEM) has allowed establishing a one-to-one relationship between load-displacement characteristics and stress-induced microstructure evolution in the transmission electron microscope. In the present work, it will be demonstrated that a step forward in the investigation of the small-scale plasticity mechanisms in crystalline and amorphous materials can be made by combining commercial and in-house developed lab-on-chip micro/nanomechanical testing techniques with advanced TEM techniques including high resolution aberration corrected (S)TEM and spectroscopy, Angstrom-beam-electron-diffraction as well as automated crystallographic orientation, phase and nanostrain mapping in TEM. These techniques have been used to reveal the fundamental plasticity mechanisms activated in freestanding nanocrystalline and metallic glass thin films and, more recently, advanced hybrid nanolaminated materials combining metallic and amorphous oxide layers as well as the minerals of the upper mantle.

Bio :
Pr. Hosni IDRISSI is the head of the materials and process engineering (IMAP) division of the Institute of Mechanics, Materials, and Civil Engineering (iMMC) at UCLouvain in Belgium. IMAP is composed of 7 faculty members and about 100 researchers. He obtained his PhD in materials science at UMarseille Aix-III (France) in 2006. Following 2 years of postdoctoral research at INSA de Lyon and ULille in France and 8 years as senior researcher at UAntwerp and UCLouvain, he joined the iMMC Institute at UCLouvain as FNRS research associate and Professor in 2016, where he established a new activity focusing on the investigation of the elementary mechanisms controlling the processing and deformation of inorganic materials using electron microscopy. This activity involves a strong long-term collaboration between UCLouvain and the EMAT laboratory in UAntwerp. The focus is put on crystalline materials with micro-nanostructures dominated by internal interfaces such as nanocrystalline metallic thin films and advanced steels and alloys exhibiting twins, phase and antiphase boundaries, nanoprecipitates and nanocracks. Recently, the attention has been partly shifted towards amorphous oxides and metallic glass materials, the minerals of the Earth's mantle as well as the impact of mechanical strain on different solid-state physics phenomena including chemical, electrical, thermal and irradiation couplings.

Fonctions propres de l'oscillateur harmonique et phénomènes aléatoires

Marie Landeiro Dos Reis — 2025-11-12T14:38:33Z

Date : 20 Novembre et 4 décembre

Lieu : Pascal 000

Résumé :
On propose de présenter l'analyse harmonique d'un opérateur classique en mécanique quantique : l'oscillateur harmonique -Delta+|x|^2. On comparera cette analyse à celle des séries de Fourier. Dans un second temps, j'expliquerai des problématiques qui ont été étudiées (de façon déterministe par d'autres auteurs puis de façon probabiliste par l'orateur et ses collaborateurs). L'exposé sera dans la mesure du possible auto-contenu et aucune connaissance préalable du sujet ne sera nécessaire.

La diffraction des rayons X pour la caractérisation des matériaux et les thématiques des laboratoires de La Rochelle Université

Marie Landeiro Dos Reis — 2025-10-16T08:17:23Z

Date : 6 novembre

Lieu : Orbigny - C22

Résumé :

La diffraction des rayons X (DRX) est une technique incontournable pour l'analyse structurale des matériaux cristallins. Elle permet d'identifier les phases, de quantifier les proportions relatives, de déterminer les paramètres de maille ou encore d'évaluer la cristallinité et les contraintes résiduelles.

Le Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Ingénieur pour l'Environnement, héberge deux appareils de diffraction des rayons X depuis une vingtaine d'année. Ils sont à disposition des chercheurs de l'Université et d'ailleurs, avec un accompagnement scientifique et technique pour la préparation, la mesure et l'interprétation des données.

Le séminaire présentera les capacités analytiques, les services et les conditions d'accès à la plateforme pour vos projets scientifiques. L'objectif est de faire connaître les ressources disponibles et d'encourager de nouvelles collaborations au sein de la communauté scientifique, quel que soit le domaine d'application : matériaux, géosciences, chimie, biologie, ou patrimoine.

Advances in Understanding Environmental Degradation of Metals

Marie Landeiro Dos Reis — 2025-09-16T13:14:44Z

Date : 11 décembre

Lieu : Amphi 100, MSI

Résumé :
Environmental degradation (corrosion, environmental embrittlement,…) of metals has been studied for over a century, yet continues to impact nearly every use of metals. There are several reasons for this. First, many environmental degradation issues have been primarily studied by industry, which tends to focus on solving an immediate problem but no further because they do not need to fully understand the phenomenon. Secondly, many environmental degradation phenomena are inherently complex, exhibiting different features at different length scales. Fortunately, a variety of techniques has allowed multiscale investigations that have delivered new insight into the mechanisms of these complex phenomena. This talk will cover a variety of examples from my own work and the literature to illustrate how new characterization techniques have been used to answer long-standing questions in the field of environmental degradation.

Bio :
May L Martin is a Materials Research Engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, United States. She has been at NIST since 2017. She received her B.S. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Cornell University in 2005, and completed her Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 2013. Her PhD thesis, under Prof. Ian Robertson, was on understanding the connection between fracture and the Hydrogen Enhanced Localized Plasticity (HELP) mechanism. From 2014 to 2016, she was an Alexander von Humboldt post-doctoral research fellow at the Georg August University of Göttingen, Germany, as a guest of Prof. Reiner Kirchheim. The work focused on different hydrogen effects, from Hydrogen-Induced Cracking (HIC) to hydrogen-enhanced grain growth. She is one of two current organizers of the International Hydrogen Conference, one of the oldest established conference series on hydrogen interactions with metals. Her research focuses on understanding the fracture processes of metals, especially under conditions of environmental degradation such as hydrogen embrittlement.