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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

Modelling thermal fluctuations in non-ideal fluids with the lattice Boltzmann method
M Gross, R Adhikari, ME Cates, F Varnik
– Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci
(2011)
369,
2274
Crystallization mechanism of hard sphere glasses
E Sanz, C Valeriani, E Zaccarelli, WCK Poon, PN Pusey, ME Cates
– Physical review letters
(2011)
106,
215701
Defect hydrodynamics in 2D polar active fluids
J Elgeti, ME Cates, D Marenduzzo
– Soft Matter
(2011)
7,
3177
Crystallization and aging in hard-sphere glasses.
C Valeriani, E Sanz, E Zaccarelli, WCK Poon, ME Cates, PN Pusey
– Journal of Physics Condensed Matter
(2011)
23,
194117
Nonlinear dynamics and rheology of active fluids: simulations in two dimensions.
SM Fielding, D Marenduzzo, ME Cates
– Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys
(2011)
83,
041910
Langevin theory of fluctuations in the discrete Boltzmann equation
M Gross, ME Cates, F Varnik, R Adhikari
– Journal of Statistical Mechanics Theory and Experiment
(2011)
2011,
p03030
Structure of Blue Phase III of Cholesteric Liquid Crystals
O Henrich, K Stratford, ME Cates, D Marenduzzo
– Physical Review Letters
(2011)
106,
107801
Lattice models of nonequilibrium bacterial dynamics
AG Thompson, J Tailleur, ME Cates, RA Blythe
– Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment
(2011)
2011,
P02029
Age-dependent transient shear banding in soft glasses
RL Moorcroft, ME Cates, SM Fielding
– Physical review letters
(2011)
106,
055502
How to prepare and stabilize very small nanoemulsions.
T Delmas, H Piraux, A-C Couffin, I Texier, F Vinet, P Poulin, ME Cates, J Bibette
– Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
(2011)
27,
1683
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Research Group

Soft Matter

Room

G1.08

Telephone

01223 337912