Conférenciers invités

Portrait François Alouges
François Alouges
Centre Borelli, Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay

François Alouges is  known for his work in numerical analysis and mathematical modeling of physical systems. His research focuses on the development and analysis of algorithms for partial differential equations arising in continuum mechanics, micromagnetics, and liquid crystals. He has made key contributions to the numerical simulation of the Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert equations and energy-minimizing schemes for magnetic materials. Alouges also works on shape optimization, variational methods, and applications of optimal control to fluid dynamics. His approach often combines rigorous analysis with computational implementation, bridging theory and applications. He is a professor at École Polytechnique, where he leads research connecting mathematical modeling with modern computational techniques.

 

Portrait de Fabien Lespagnol
Fabien Lespagnol
Alexander Grothendieck Montpellier Institute (IMAG), University of Montpellier

Fabien Lespagnol is currently a postdoctoral researcher at IMAG (Institut Montpellierain Alexander Grothendieck), where his research focuses on the analysis of partial differential equations for multi-fluid flows, with a particular emphasis on compressible Navier-Stokes equations for the modeling and simulation of bubbly flows. He completed his PhD under a joint supervision program between Politecnico di Milano and Inria Paris. His work involved the modeling, mathematical analysis, and finite element resolution of problems involving slender structures immersed in three-dimensional fluid.

 

sebastien_michelin
Sébastien Michelin
Hydrodynamics Lab (LadHyX), Ecole Polytechnique

Sébastien Michelin is a distinguished Professor of Fluid Mechanics at LadHyx, École Polytechnique, whose research centers on the modeling and control of active fluids, a field critical to the study of micro-swimmers for which he is presenting at this conference. His work rigorously investigates both biological systems, such as ciliated micro-organisms, and synthetic active matter like droplets and colloids, with a core focus on the complex low Reynolds number hydrodynamics that govern viscous self-propulsion and the collective, non-equilibrium dynamics of these systems. As the recipient of the ERC Starting Grant (CollectSwim), his research addresses fundamental challenges in understanding how groups of self-propelled particles interact and move, using applied mathematics and advanced numerical methods to solve the coupled multi-physics problems inherent to optimizing micro-swimmer locomotion and understanding propulsion mechanisms near boundaries.

 

Portrait de Clément Moreau
Clément Moreau
Laboratory of Digital Sciences of Nantes (LS2N), Nantes University

Clément Moreau is a CNRS researcher affiliated with the Laboratory of Digital Sciences of Nantes (LS2N). He obtained his PhD from Université Côte d’Azur in 2020 on controllability of nonlinear systems in finite and infinite dimension. He then held a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences (RIMS) in Kyoto University. His research interests span nonlinear control theory, mathematical modeling, and applications to biological and robotic locomotion, primarily in the field of microscopic swimming. In particular, he has worked on models of magnetically controlled soft microrobots and on the control of particles with external fluid interactions.

 

Portrait d'Alis Oulmas
Ali Oulmas
Robeauté compagny, Paris

With over 10 years of experience in microrobotics, Ali Oulmas is now the VP of Research at Robeauté (Paris), a company pioneering a new class of therapeutic microrobots engineered to diagnose, treat, and monitor the brain with high flexibility and precision. Ali Oulmas completed his PhD at the Institute of Intelligent Systems and Robotics (ISIR) under the supervision of Stéphane Régnier, member of the "RPI-Bio" team and of Nicolas Andreff from the FEMTO-St Intitute. During his PhD, Ali Oulmas studied the control of microswimmers operating in low Reynolds number fluids. The objective of his thesis was to develop generic motion control laws using visual servoing in 3D space for various types of nonholonomic microswimmers, as well as to establish comparison criteria to evaluate the performance of different swimmer geometries and propulsion modes for specific tasks. These control strategies were experimentally validated on two types of robots—helical and flexible—actuated by a uniform magnetic field, mimicking the locomotion mechanisms of bacteria and sperm cells, respectively.

 

Anonymous
Lucas Palazzolo
INRIA, Côte d'Azur University

Lucas Palazzolo  is a PhD student in Applied Mathematics at the INRIA Centre at Université Côte d’Azur, within the CALISTO project team (Stochastic Approaches for Complex Flows and Environment). The CALISTO team brings together a unique synergy of physics, mathematics, and computational approaches to solve complex environmental simulation models involving particle-laden flows and to tackle related challenges. Among these, the team develops numerical methods to analyze the motion of microswimmers in various fluids such as water and non-Newtonian bodily fluids, and designs strategies to optimize and control the movement of artificial microswimmers.

 

Portrait de Fabien Vergnet
Fabien Vergnet
Jacques-Louis Lions Laboratory (LJLL), Sorbonne University

Fabien Vergnet is an Associate Professor at Sorbonne University and a member of the Jacques-Louis Lions Laboratory (LJLL, Paris, France). he is also member of the COMMEDIA project-team at INRIA Paris. His main research interests focus on the mathematical study of fluid-structure interaction problems with biomedical applications and the development of numerical methods for solving transmission problems. He was previously a postdoctoral researcher at École Polytechnique under the supervision of Aline Lefebvre. He completed his PhD at the Mathematics Laboratory of Orsay (LMO) at Paris-Saclay University. The aim of his thesis was the modeling, mathematical analysis, and numerical simulation of fluid-structure interaction problems involving active structures capable of self-deformation through internal constraints, and a low Reynolds number fluid, modeled by the Stokes equations.

 

Portrait de Kirsty Wan
Kirsty Wan
Living Systems Institute (LSI), University of Exeter

Kirsty Wan is a Professor of Cellular and Biophysical Dynamics at the Living Systems Institute (LSI) and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. She is also Director of Global Engagement and co-lead of the Physics of Life theme at the LSI and Senior Academic Lead for the Maths for Health and Life Sciences group at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Her lab explores how cells and small organisms control and orchestrate complex behaviours. They integrate experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches to explore fundamental biological questions such as how aneural single-celled organisms actuate their motility appendages for swimming. They are particularly interested in understanding the origins and diversification of cilia, also known as eukaryotic flagella, which are evolutionarily conserved across phyla. They pioneer novel biophysical approaches to understanding ciliary form, function, and coordination in diverse species.

 

Portrait de Marta Zoppello
Marta Zoppello
Polytechnic University of Turin

Marta Zoppello is a researcher at the Politecnico di Torino, working in the Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche “G. L. Lagrange” (DISMA). Her research lies at the intersection of mathematical physics, geometric control theory, and fluid dynamics, with particular interests in control and motion of micro-swimmers in viscous fluids ; fluid–solid interaction and biomechanics and optimal control. She has co-authored several influential papers, such as on the controllability of slender microswimmers and control of hydrodynamic interactions between microparticles/microswimmers. Marta Zoppello earned her PhD in Mathematics from the University of Padova and has held postdoctoral positions, including at the University of Trento, Padova, Verona and Torino. She has a wide network of collaborations both in Italy and abroad on the Microswimmers topic.