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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

Role of shear in the isotropic-to-lamellar transition
ME Cates, ST Milner
– Physical Review Letters
(1989)
62,
1856
GELATION AND ASSOCIATING POLYMERS
ME CATES
– PHASE TRANSITIONS IN SOFT CONDENSED MATTER
(1989)
211,
319
Finite extensibility and density saturation effects in the polymer brush
DFK SHIM, ME CATES
– Journal de Physique
(1989)
50,
3535
RANDOM SURFACTANT ASSEMBLIES AND MICROEMULSIONS
ME CATES
– PHASE TRANSITIONS IN SOFT CONDENSED MATTER
(1989)
211,
179
Dynamics of living polymers and flexible surfactant micelles : scaling laws for dilution
ME CATES
– Journal de Physique
(1988)
49,
1593
Statistics of a polymer in a random potential, with implications for a nonlinear interfacial growth model
ME CATES, RC BALL
– Journal de Physique
(1988)
49,
2009
The fractal dimension and connectivity of random surfaces
ME CATES
– Physics Letters B
(1985)
161,
363
Cates responds.
ME Cates
– Phys Rev Lett
(1985)
55,
131
Excluded volume and hyperscaling in polymeric systems
ME Cates
– Journal de Physique Lettres
(1985)
46,
L837
Brownian dynamics of self-similar macromolecules
ME Cates
– Journal De Physique Paris
(1985)
46,
1059
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Research Group

Soft Matter

Room

G1.08

Telephone

01223 337912