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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

Rheology of cubic blue phases
O Henrich, K Stratford, PV Coveney, ME Cates, D Marenduzzo
– Soft Matter
(2013)
9,
10243
(doi: 10.1039/c3sm50228g)
Continuum Theory of Phase Separation Kinetics for Active Brownian Particles
J Stenhammar, A Tiribocchi, RJ Allen, D Marenduzzo, ME Cates
– Physical review letters
(2013)
111,
145702
(doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.145702)
Intracellular Facilitated Diffusion: Searchers, Crowders, and Blockers
CA Brackley, ME Cates, D Marenduzzo
– Phys Rev Lett
(2013)
111,
108101
(doi: 10.1103/physrevlett.111.108101)
Community history affects the predictability of microbial ecosystem development.
E Pagaling, F Strathdee, BM Spears, ME Cates, RJ Allen, A Free
– ISME Journal
(2013)
8,
19
(doi: 10.1038/ismej.2013.150)
Squeezing particle-stabilized emulsions into biliquid foams - equation of state
L Maurice, RA Maguire, AB Schofield, ME Cates, PS Clegg, JHJ Thijssen
– Soft Matter
(2013)
9,
7757
(doi: 10.1039/c3sm51046h)
Flexoelectric switching in cholesteric blue phases
A Tiribocchi, ME Cates, G Gonnella, D Marenduzzo, E Orlandini
– Soft Matter
(2013)
9,
4831
(doi: 10.1039/c3sm50317h)
Colloidal Templating at a Cholesteric-Oil Interface: Assembly Guided by an Array of Disclination Lines
JS Lintuvuori, AC Pawsey, K Stratford, ME Cates, PS Clegg, D Marenduzzo
– Phys Rev Lett
(2013)
110,
187801
(doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.187801)
Effect of DNA conformation on facilitated diffusion.
CA Brackley, ME Cates, D Marenduzzo
– Biochem Soc Trans
(2013)
41,
582
(doi: 10.1042/bst20120234)
PATCHY COLLOIDS Entropy stabilizes open crystals
ME Cates
– Nature Materials
(2013)
12,
179
(doi: 10.1038/nmat3573)
When are active Brownian particles and run-and-tumble particles equivalent? Consequences for motility-induced phase separation
ME Cates, J Tailleur
– EPL (Europhysics Letters)
(2013)
101,
20010
(doi: 10.1209/0295-5075/101/20010)
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Research Group

Soft Matter

Room

G1.08

Telephone

01223 337912

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