Montpellier Advanced Knowledge Institute on Transitions

Armand Soldera

Armand Soldera is professor at the University of Sherbrooke (Canada). His fellowship at the Montpellier Advanced Knowledge Institute on Transitions runs from 1 January to 30 March 2024.

Biography:

Armand Soldera presently holds the position of a professor at the University of Sherbrooke located in Quebec, Canada. He also serves as the Vice-Dean for Development and Partnerships within the Faculty of Sciences.

Armand Soldera received his PhD in molecular physical chemistry from Strasbourg University and started his career as a research engineer at the Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique (CEA), where he specialized in molecular simulations of polymers. Later, in 2002, he began his journey with the University of Sherbrooke as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry, eventually reaching the position of full professor in 2009.

From 1996 to 2020, he served as an associate professor at ISMANS in Le Mans, France, and since 2021, he has held a similar position at the Institut de Physique at the University of Rennes. Pr Soldera’s research focuses on unravelling the intricate interplay between micro and macro scales in soft matter, including polymers, liquid crystals and organic glasses. His methodology combines simulations and experimental investigations using a multi-scale approach.

Research interests :

  • Polymers;
  • Liquid Crystal;
  • Molecular simulation;
  • Drug adsorption;
  • Carbon nanotubes;
  • Ionic liquids

Project: Applying multi-scale simulation to solve biological, health, and environmental issues

With the increase in computing power, the use of efficient codes and an increasingly user-friendly environment, molecular simulation has become an essential part of the laboratory. In fact, it is an application of theories to more complex systems with many interactions. It can thus solve problems that were previously difficult or impossible to solve. In this project, two major problems are addressed:

  1. Study of the role of ionic liquids in the treatment of biomass with Prof. Ahmad Mehdi and Dr. Nicolas Brun, D3 of the Charles Gerhardt Institute.
  2. Study of the adsorption of small molecules (drugs) on single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with Pr. Éric Anglaret (Charles Coulomb Laboratory) and Dr May Morris (Max Mousseron Institute of Biomolecules).

Why a fellowship in Montpellier?

Thanks to the meetings between the two universities of Sherbrooke and Montpellier, my colleague Éric Anglaret from Polytech Montpellier, a colleague from Sherbrooke and myself, we obtained funding that allowed us to share our good teaching practices. It also made us realise that we have complementary areas of research. This fellowship is therefore a first step towards research collaboration. I also hope to find students for Cotutelle theses. The selected student will do the experimental part in Montpellier and the simulation part in my laboratory. By developing such collaborations, student exchanges, joint publications, it will be relevant to apply to the CNRS for an International Research Project (IRP).

By showing the potential of collaborations that materialise through grant applications, conferences, teaching and a possible cotutelle, I want to maximise my fellowship in Montpellier.

Recent publications on Armand’s ORCID profile include: