DAMTP | Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics

The Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics is one of the largest and strongest of its kind in Europe. The Department currently hosts approximately 140 Academic and Research Staff and around 160 PhD students at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences, a purpose-built complex in Wilberforce Road, Cambridge.

Research in DAMTP is loosely organised into eight broad subject areas: Applied and Computational Analysis, Astrophysics, Geophysics, Fluid and Solid Mechanics, Mathematical Biology, Quantum Information, High Energy Physics and General Relativity and Cosmology. Many members of staff contribute to more than one area and this is regarded as a key factor in the continuing success of DAMTP. Research in each of the subject areas involves collaboration with strong groups nationally and internationally, and participation in numerous interdisciplinary projects and programmes.

News & Events

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Julian Hunt FRS 1941 - 2026

We are deeply saddened to learn that Julian Hunt, who was a member of the DAMTP academic staff from 1970 to 1992, first as a Lecturer – a joint appointment with Engineering – then as Reader and subsequently Professor in Fluid Mechanics, has died aged 84.

From 1992 to 1997, Julian served as Director General and Chief Executive of the Met Office. He was Vice-President of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications from 1989-1993 and President from 1993-1996.

Julian was created a Baron in the House of Lords in 2000 with the title Lord Hunt of Chesterton. After his retirement Julian was an active member of the House of Lords who made many contributions to discussion and committee work, particularly with regard to science, the environment and energy.

Daniel Baumann appointed as Stephen W Hawking Professor of Cosmology

The Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP) has appointed Daniel Baumann as the Stephen W Hawking Professor of Cosmology. Baumann will be the first to hold this Chair, which has been established through the generous support of the Avery-Tsui Foundation. As its title reflects, the Chair honours the unique scientific legacy of the late Professor Stephen Hawking, who was a member of DAMTP for forty years.

Baumann will take up the appointment in June 2026. Initially, he will serve on a part-time basis while continuing in his role as Director of the Leung Center for Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics at National Taiwan University. Professor Nick Dorey, Head of DAMTP, says: "Daniel Baumann is a leading cosmologist whose work explores the consequences of fundamental theory for the early Universe. His appointment builds on DAMTP’s long and distinguished tradition of contributions to theoretical cosmology, and we are delighted to welcome him to the Department."

Miranda C. N. Cheng appointed as Professor of Data-Intensive Mathematical Physics

The Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP) has appointed Miranda C. N. Cheng as Professor of Data-Intensive Mathematical Physics. Cheng will be the first person to hold this newly created role.

Professor Nick Dorey, current Head of DAMTP, says: "Miranda Cheng's work has uncovered remarkable connections between areas of pure mathematics, such as number theory and topology, and fundamental physics. Most recently, she has focused on applying machine learning methods to problems in mathematical physics and, conversely, adapting ideas from physics to provide a theoretical framework for artificial intelligence. Her appointment builds new bridges between different research communities within DAMTP and is an exciting development for the Department".

Professor Anne-Christine Davis OBE awarded a 2025 Buchalter Cosmology Prize

Professor Anne-Christine Davis OBE and co-authors have been awarded a 2025 Buchalter Cosmology Prize for their paper 'A Minimal Axio-dilaton Dark Sector'. This is the second Buchalter Cosmology Prize won for work by Professor Anne-Christine Davis, following her earlier Prize award in 2021.

Founded in 2014, the annual Buchalter Cosmology Prizes seek to stimulate ground-breaking theoretical, observational, or experimental work in cosmology that has the potential to produce a breakthrough advance in our understanding. The Prizes were announced in January 2026 at the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS).

Landmark £6m gift from XTX Markets will help fund the next generation of Cambridge mathematicians

A £6 million gift by leading algorithmic trading firm XTX Markets will create more than thirty new PhD and Postdoc opportunities in DPMMS and DAMTP. XTX’s transformative gift is part of its new Early-Career Funding programme, committing more than £26m to boost the number of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in pure mathematics at seven top UK universities.

XTX Markets' donation to the University of Cambridge will cover a total of 3 years starting October 2026. Around four-fifths of the funding will go to the Department of Pure Maths and Mathematical Statistics (DPMMS), and one-fifth to DAMTP.

Professor Blake Sherwin awarded ERC Consolidator Grant

Blake Sherwin, Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics in DAMTP, is one of eight University of Cambridge researchers sharing a total of €17 million in the European Research Council's (ERC) Consolidator Grants 2025 awards. The grants support mid-career researchers to carry out cutting-edge research projects lasting up to five years.

Blake Sherwin's grant funded project will use the cosmic microwave background, the universe’s oldest light, as a 'backlight' to map where cosmic matter lies and how it moves. This can provide new insights into how the universe began, and will enable the research team to test ideas about how cosmic structure grew.

Professor Raymond Goldstein FRS awarded honorary doctorate by KU Leuven

Ray Goldstein, Alan Turing Professor of Complex Physical Systems in DAMTP, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by KU Leuven, celebrating his pioneering work on the 'physics of life'.

The honorary doctorate will be presented in February 2026, and recognises his work as a bridge builder between different scientific disciplines, in which the perspective of physics gives new impetus to the study of biological processes.