Postdoctoral Scholar - Germicidal UV for Bioaerosol Mitigation

This competition is open to all applicants however; internal candidates and applicants who were former employees of the University of Alberta will be given priority consideration before external candidates. Please log in to verify your internal candidate status.

This position has an initial appointment of one year, with a possible one-year extension contingent on satisfactory performance and funding approval.

Location - This role is in-person. Work primarily takes place at North Campus, Edmonton.

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Scholar to advance research on in-duct ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI/GUV) technologies for mitigating airborne aerosol transmission in building ventilation systems. The position focuses on integrating computational and experimental approaches to precisely characterize UVGI performance under realistic HVAC operating conditions.

The scholar will play a leading role in developing next-generation engineering knowledge to support the design, optimization, and deployment of in-duct UVGI systems for healthy and resilient buildings.

The Postdoctoral Scholar will lead and support research activities, including:

• Develop high-fidelity CFD models to resolve duct airflow, turbulence, and particle transport.
• Conduct irradiance modelling using ray-tracing or radiation transport methods.
• Quantify UV dose delivery and disinfection performance under single-pass conditions.
• Support experimental validation in duct test rigs.
• Publish research in peer-reviewed journals and present at international conferences.
• Contribute to proposal development and interdisciplinary collaborations.
• Mentor graduate and undergraduate trainees in modelling and laboratory methods.

• PhD (completed or near completion) in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Building Science, or a closely related field.
• Strong background in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).
• Demonstrated experience in airflow modelling and particle transport simulation.
• Peer-reviewed publication record.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in UVGI or airborne infection control technologies.
• Knowledge of radiative heat transfer or optical modelling.
• Familiarity with HVAC systems and ventilation engineering.
• Experience with multiphysics simulation platforms (e.g., ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM, COMSOL).
• Background in aerosol science or bioaerosol transport.

Application Instructions

Click “Apply Now” and submit the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of Publications
• Research Plan
• Academic Referral Letters

This position has a comprehensive benefits package.

The terms and conditions of this appointment are governed by the Collective Agreement between the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta and the Postdoctoral Fellows Association of the University of Alberta.