MULTI-SOFT · Multi-scale and Multi-physics Modelling of Soft Tissues

Mechanics exerts significant influence on biological growth, development, and disease through multi-physical factors and at multi scales. Current modelling research in cancer growth, spreading and morphogenesis lags far behind experimental studies, and this gap has seriously hindered cancer diagnosis and treatment. The advanced mathematical and computational modelling of soft tissue and cancer-related phenomena, combined with systematic experimental studies and robust numerical simulations, are of great research significance to the health and economic values of Europe.The main goal of the MULTI-SOFT project is to overcome these challenges in an original and innovative manner by developing multi-scale and multi-physics modelling of soft tissues to improve our understanding of cancer and develop tools for its identification and treatment. The work will be approached from theoretical, computational, and experimental perspectives based on the applicant's and host laboratory's expertise. The training program is exhaustive and will allow the applicant to grow as an independent researcher. The proposed research will foster further development in this direction, a step that is fundamental in healthcare and for the benefit of society. The applicant is a Chinese scholar with expertise in the areas of applied mathematics, solid mechanics, soft matter, instability and bifurcation, and multi-filed coupling. He has been trained in prestigious academic institutions in China, Ireland, and the UK. He publishes articles in high-impact factor and top journals, at the frontiers of applied mathematics, biomechanics, and other disciplines. He is requesting funds for two years, to work with Prof. Davide Bigoni and his Solid and Structural Mechanics Group at the University of Trento, Italy, and secondment (six months) at the Graz University of Technology, Austria, and the International School for Advanced Studies, Italy.