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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

Shear-induced clustering in a simple driven diffusive model
OJ O'Loan, MR Evans, ME Cates
– Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications
(1998)
258,
109
Jamming, Force Chains, and Fragile Matter
ME Cates, JP Wittmer, JP Bouchaud, P Claudin
– Physical Review Letters
(1998)
81,
1841
Jamming transition in a homogeneous one-dimensional system: The bus route model
OJ O’Loan, MR Evans, ME Cates
– Physical Review E Statistical Physics Plasmas Fluids and Related Interdisciplinary Topics
(1998)
58,
1404
Models of stress fluctuations in granular media
P Claudin, JP Bouchaud, ME Cates, JP Wittmer
– Physical Review E Statistical Physics Plasmas Fluids and Related Interdisciplinary Topics
(1998)
57,
4441
Stabilization of Emulsions by Trapped Species
AJ Webster, ME Cates
– Langmuir
(1998)
14,
2068
Projected Free Energies for Polydisperse Phase Equilibria
P Sollich, ME Cates
– Physical Review Letters
(1998)
80,
1365
Stress propagation in sand
ME Cates, JP Wittmer
– Physica A Statistical Mechanics and its Applications
(1998)
249,
276
Theories of polymer-mediated forces
ME Cates
– MODERN ASPECTS OF COLLOIDAL DISPERSIONS
(1998)
173
Metastable states and phase ordering dynamics
RML Evans, WCK Poon, ME Cates
– NUOVO CIMENTO DELLA SOCIETA ITALIANA DI FISICA D-CONDENSED MATTER ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND CHEMICAL PHYSICS FLUIDS PLASMAS BIOPHYSICS
(1998)
20,
2155
Triangular and uphill avalanches of a tilted sandpile
JP Bouchaud, ME Cates
– Granular Matter
(1998)
1,
101
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Research Group

Soft Matter

Room

G1.08

Telephone

01223 337912