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Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics

  • 2015-date: Lucasian Professor of Mathematics
  • 2007-2022: Royal Society Research Professor
  • 1995-2015: Professor of Natural Philosophy, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh
  • 1992-1995: University Lecturer, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge
  • 1989-1992: University Assistant Lecturer, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge
  • 1988-1989: Royal Society University Research Fellow, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge
  • 1985-1995: Junior Research Fellow (1985-1989), Teaching Fellow (1990-1995), Trinity College Cambridge

Research

Mike is a member of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. He heads the Soft Matter research group. His current research interests include: flow of colloids, polymers, emulsions, gels and other soft materials; shear-thickening and rheology in dense suspensions; dynamics of soft glasses; flow of liquid crystals; general theories of active matter; cellular locomotion; phase ordering in active and passive systems; statistical mechanics of active particles; and numerous other topics. He recently completed an ERC Advanced Grant called ADNeSP: Active and Driven Systems, Nonequilibrium Statistical Physics.

Prizes and Awards

  • 2021: International Member, US National Academy of Sciences
  • 2019: International Member, US National Academy of Engineering
  • 2016: Bingham Medal, US Society of Rheology
  • 2013: Weissenberg Award, European Society of Rheology
  • 2009: Dirac Medal and Prize, Institute of Physics
  • 2009: Gold Medal, British Society of Rheology
  • 2007: Fellow of the Royal Society (London)
  • 2005: Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
  • 1996: Fellow of the Institute of Physics
  • 1994: Prix Franco-Britannique (Paris Academy of Sciences)
  • 1991: Maxwell Prize and Medal, Institute of Physics

Publications

Active Cahn--Hilliard theory for non-equilibrium phase separation: quantitative macroscopic predictions and a microscopic derivation
S Bureković, FD Luca, ME Cates, C Nardini
(2026)
Wetting and pattern formation in non-reciprocal ternary phase separation
X Ma, ME Cates
– New Journal of Physics
(2025)
27,
124401
Entropy production rate in thermodynamically consistent flocks
T Agranov, RL Jack, ME Cates, É Fodor
– New Journal of Physics
(2025)
27,
104602
Active particles in moving traps: Minimum work protocols and information efficiency of work extraction.
J Schüttler, R Garcia-Millan, ME Cates, SAM Loos
– Physical Review E
(2025)
112,
024119
Optimal Closed-Loop Control of Active Particles and a Minimal Information Engine.
R Garcia-Millan, J Schüttler, ME Cates, SAM Loos
– Physical review letters
(2025)
135,
088301
Geometric theory of (extended) time-reversal symmetries in stochastic processes: II. Field theory
J O’Byrne, ME Cates
– Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment
(2025)
2025,
053204
Active phase separation: new phenomenology from non-equilibrium physics
ME Cates, C Nardini
– Reports on Progress in Physics
(2025)
88,
056601
Physical science of the didodecyldimethylammonium bromide-water system: 1. Equilibrium phase behaviour
L Reissig, W Pyckhout-Hintzen, S Dalgleish, AR Mount, ME Cates, DJ Fairhurst, SE Egelhaaf
– Soft matter
(2025)
21,
2445
Statistical properties of microphase and bubbly phase-separated active fluids.
G Fausti, ME Cates, C Nardini
– Physical review. E
(2024)
110,
L042103
Hyperuniformity in phase ordering: the roles of activity, noise, and non-constant mobility.
F De Luca, X Ma, C Nardini, ME Cates
– Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal
(2024)
36,
405101
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Research Group

Soft Matter

Room

G1.08

Telephone

01223 337912