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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

Bayesian inference across multiple models suggests a strong increase in lethality of COVID-19 in late 2020 in the UK
P Pietzonka, E Brorson, W Bankes, ME Cates, RL Jack, R Adhikari
– PLoS ONE
(2021)
16,
e0258968
Irreversibility and Biased Ensembles in Active Matter: Insights from Stochastic Thermodynamics
E Fodor, RL Jack, ME Cates
– Annual Review of Condensed Matter Physics
(2021)
13,
1
Hierarchical microphase separation in non-conserved active mixtures.
YI Li, ME Cates
– Eur Phys J E Soft Matter
(2021)
44,
119
Efficient Bayesian inference of fully stochastic epidemiological models with applications to COVID-19.
YI Li, G Turk, PB Rohrbach, P Pietzonka, J Kappler, R Singh, J Dolezal, T Ekeh, L Kikuchi, JD Peterson, A Bolitho, H Kobayashi, ME Cates, R Adhikari, RL Jack
– Royal Society Open Science
(2021)
8,
211065
Capillary Interfacial Tension in Active Phase Separation
G Fausti, E Tjhung, ME Cates, C Nardini
– Physical review letters
(2021)
127,
068001
Thermodynamics of Active Field Theories: Energetic Cost of Coupling to Reservoirs
T Markovich, É Fodor, E Tjhung, ME Cates
– Physical Review X
(2021)
11,
021057
Constitutive models for well-entangled living polymers beyond the fast-breaking limit
JD Peterson, ME Cates
– Journal of Rheology
(2021)
65,
633
Active engines: Thermodynamics moves forward
E Fodor, ME Cates
– EPL (Europhysics Letters)
(2021)
134,
10003
Bayesian inference across multiple models suggests a strong increase in lethality of COVID-19 in late 2020 in the UK
P Pietzonka, E Brorson, W Bankes, ME Cates, RL Jack, R Adhikari
(2021)
2021.03.10.21253311
Statistical mechanics of active Ornstein-Uhlenbeck particles.
D Martin, J O'Byrne, ME Cates, É Fodor, C Nardini, J Tailleur, F van Wijland
– Physical Review E
(2021)
103,
032607
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Research Group

Soft Matter

Room

G1.08

Telephone

01223 337912