skip to content
Home

Soft Matter

Professor Michael Cates

  • 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

Diffusive evolution of stable and metastable phases .1. Local dynamics of interfaces
RML Evans, ME Cates
– Physical Review E
(1997)
56,
5738
(doi: 10.1103/physreve.56.5738)
Of micelles and many-layered vesicles
ME Cates
– THEORETICAL CHALLENGES IN THE DYNAMICS OF COMPLEX FLUIDS
(1997)
339,
257
(link to publication)
Slow Transients and Metastability in Wormlike Micelle Rheology
C Grand, J Arrault, ME Cates
– The European Physical Journal D
(1997)
7,
1071
(doi: 10.1051/jp2:1997172)
Nonlocal hydrodynamic theory of flow in polymer layers
DT Wu, ME Cates
– Macromolecules
(1996)
29,
4417
(doi: 10.1021/ma951845b)
Theory of self-assembly - Editorial overview
ME Cates, SA Safran
– Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science
(1996)
1,
327
(doi: 10.1016/S1359-0294(96)80127-0)
Topological effects in ring polymers: A computer simulation study
M Müller, JP Wittmer, ME Cates
– Phys Rev E Stat Phys Plasmas Fluids Relat Interdiscip Topics
(1996)
53,
5063
(doi: 10.1103/physreve.53.5063)
Deformation of grafted polymer layers in strong shear flows
JL Harden, ME Cates
– Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics
(1996)
53,
3782
(doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.53.3782)
Viscoelasticity of the onion phase
P Panizza, D Roux, V Vuillaume, CYD Lu, ME Cates
– Langmuir
(1996)
12,
248
(doi: 10.1021/la9504016)
An explanation for the central stress minimum in sand piles
JP Wittmer, P Claudin, ME Cates, JP Bouchaud
– Nature
(1996)
382,
336
(doi: 10.1038/382336a0)
Thermodynamics of the L(3) (sponge) phase in the flexible surface model - Comment
D Roux, F Nallet, C Coulon, ME Cates
– Journal de Physique II
(1996)
6,
91
(doi: 10.1051/jp2:1996169)
  • <
  • 35 of 42
  • >

Research Group

Soft Matter

Room

G1.08

Telephone

01223 337912

Study at Cambridge

About the University

Research at Cambridge