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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 currently holds 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 Ising Models of flocking: a field-theoretic approach.
M Scandolo, J Pausch, ME Cates
– European Physical Journal E
(2023)
46,
103
Orientation-Dependent Propulsion of Active Brownian Spheres: From Self-Advection to Programmable Cluster Shapes.
S Bröker, J Bickmann, M Te Vrugt, ME Cates, R Wittkowski
– Phys Rev Lett
(2023)
131,
168203
Active–passive mixtures with bulk loading: a minimal active engine in one dimension
JF Derivaux, RL Jack, ME Cates
– Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment
(2023)
2023,
083212
Two-Dimensional Crystals far from Equilibrium
L Galliano, ME Cates, L Berthier
– Physical Review Letters
(2023)
131,
047101
Tricritical Behavior in Dynamical Phase Transitions.
T Agranov, ME Cates, RL Jack
– Phys Rev Lett
(2023)
131,
017102
Towards a liquid-state theory for active matter(a)
YI Li, R Garcia-Millan, ME Cates, É Fodor
– EPL (Europhysics Letters)
(2023)
142,
57004
Interface Roughening in Nonequilibrium Phase-Separated Systems
M Besse, G Fausti, ME Cates, B Delamotte, C Nardini
– Physical Review Letters
(2023)
130,
187102
Rheology of Dense Suspensions under Shear Rotation.
F Blanc, F Peters, JJJ Gillissen, ME Cates, S Bosio, C Benarroche, R Mari
– Physical review letters
(2023)
130,
118202
Classical Nucleation Theory for Active Fluid Phase Separation
ME Cates, C Nardini
– Physical Review Letters
(2023)
130,
098203
Role of initial conditions in $1D$ diffusive systems: compressibility, hyperuniformity and long-term memory
T Banerjee, RL Jack, ME Cates
– Physical review. E
(2022)
106,
L062101
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Research Group

Soft Matter

Room

G1.08

Telephone

01223 337912