- 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 particles in moving traps: Minimum work protocols and information efficiency of work extraction.
– Physical review. E
(2025)
112,
024119
(doi: 10.1103/4q4f-1dpx)
Optimal Closed-Loop Control of Active Particles and a Minimal Information Engine.
– Physical Review Letters
(2025)
135,
088301
(doi: 10.1103/fbgp-qpvv)
Active phase separation: new phenomenology from non-equilibrium physics
– Reports on progress in physics. Physical Society (Great Britain)
(2025)
88,
056601
(doi: 10.1088/1361-6633/add278)
Statistical properties of microphase and bubbly phase-separated active fluids.
– Phys Rev E
(2024)
110,
L042103
(doi: 10.1103/physreve.110.l042103)
Hyperuniformity in phase ordering: the roles of activity, noise, and non-constant mobility
– Journal of Physics Condensed Matter
(2024)
36,
405101
(doi: 10.1088/1361-648X/ad5b45)
Wormlike Micelles revisited: A comparison of models for linear rheology
– Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics
(2023)
322,
105149
(doi: 10.1016/j.jnnfm.2023.105149)
Active Ising Models of flocking: a field-theoretic approach
– European Physical Journal E
(2023)
46,
103
Orientation-Dependent Propulsion of Active Brownian Spheres: From Self-Advection to Programmable Cluster Shapes
– Physical Review Letters
(2023)
131,
168203
Active–passive mixtures with bulk loading: a minimal active engine in one dimension
– Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment
(2023)
2023,
083212
(doi: 10.1088/1742-5468/acecfa)
Two-Dimensional Crystals far from Equilibrium.
– Phys Rev Lett
(2023)
131,
047101
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