Professor Michael Cates | Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics

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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

Rheology of lamellar liquid crystals in two and three dimensions: a simulation study

O Henrich, K Stratford, D Marenduzzo, PV Coveney, ME Cates

– Soft Matter

(2012)

8,

3817

(doi: 10.1039/c2sm07374a)

Thermodynamic interpretation of soft glassy rheology models.

P Sollich, ME Cates

– Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys

(2012)

85,

031127

(doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.85.031127)

Diffusive transport without detailed balance in motile bacteria: Does microbiology need statistical physics?

ME Cates

– Reports on Progress in Physics

(2012)

75,

042601

(doi: 10.1088/0034-4885/75/4/042601)

Phase separation and rotor self-assembly in active particle suspensions.

J Schwarz-Linek, C Valeriani, A Cacciuto, ME Cates, D Marenduzzo, AN Morozov, WCK Poon

– Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

(2012)

109,

4052

(doi: 10.1073/pnas.1116334109)

Field-induced breakup of emulsion droplets stabilized by colloidal particles.

EG Kim, K Stratford, PS Clegg, ME Cates

– Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys

(2012)

85,

020403

(doi: 10.1103/physreve.85.020403)

Cytoplasmic streaming in plant cells: The role of wall slip

K Wolff, D Marenduzzo, ME Cates

– J R Soc Interface

(2012)

9,

1398

(doi: 10.1098/rsif.2011.0868)

Simple model for the deformation-induced eelaxation of glassy polymers

SM Fielding, RG Larson, ME Cates

– Physical Review Letters

(2012)

108,

048301

(doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.048301)

Self-assembly and nonlinear dynamics of dimeric colloidal rotors in cholesterics.

JS Lintuvuori, K Stratford, ME Cates, D Marenduzzo

– Physical Review Letters

(2011)

107,

267802

(doi: 10.1103/physrevlett.107.267802)

Nonequilibrium steady states in polar active fluids

E Tjhung, ME Cates, D Marenduzzo

– Soft Matter

(2011)

7,

7453

(doi: 10.1039/c1sm05396e)

Migration of Chemotactic Bacteria in Soft Agar: Role of Gel Concentration

OA Croze, GP Ferguson, ME Cates, WCK Poon

– Biophysical journal

(2011)

101,

525

(doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2011.06.023)