Prof. Tom McLeish, MA, PhD, FInstP, FRSC
Tom McLeish did a first degree in physics and PhD (1987) in polymer physics at the University of Cambridge. The PhD work, sponsored by Courtaulds Research, was carried out in the group of Sir Sam Edwards in Cambridge, where he developed an interest in branched polymer dynamics. After a post-doctoral position working on gelation, also at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, funded by ICI, he became a lecturer in physics at the University of Sheffield. There he built up a group working on the theory of dynamics of complex fluids. In 1993 he took the chair in polymer physics at the University of Leeds. He has since won several awards both in Europe and the USA for his work on molecular rheology of polymers, and now runs a large collaborative research programme in this field co-funded between Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and industry.
From 2000-2005 he was a Senior Research Fellow of the EPSRC (UK), and is currently the Director of the UK Polymer IRC, a multidisciplinary consortium of over 100 polymer scientists from the Universities of Leeds, Bradford, Durham and Sheffield, strongly integrated with industry, and a consultant for a number of chemical industries. He is also Director of the White Rose Doctoral Training Centre in Biomolecules and Cells, a collaboration between life scientists and physical scientists at Yorkshire Universities.
His research interests include: (i) molecular rheology and processing of entangled polymeric fluids (especially the role of molecular topology); (ii) macromolecular biophysics including protein folding and interactions and biological self-assembly (iii) issues of theology, ethics and science. He has published over 130 scientific papers and reviews, and is a co-author of the collaborative volume "Values in Higher Education" (2005).
He is also involved in science-communication with the public via regular radio, TV and schools lectures, discussing issues from the Physics of Slime to the interaction of Faith and Science. He is a Fellow of both the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Key Publications
T.C.B. McLeish, "Tube Theory of Entangled Polymer Dynamics", Adv. Phys., 51, 1379-1527 (2002).
A. Aggeli, M. Bell, N. Boden, J. N. Keen, P. F. Knowles, T. C. B. McLeish, M. Pitkeathly and S. E. Radford "Responsive Gels Formed by the Spontaneous Self-Assembly of Peptides into Polymeric b-Sheet Tapes". Nature, 386, 259-262, (1997).
T.C.B. McLeish, J. Allgaier, D.K.Bick, G. Bishko, P. Biswas, R. Blackwell, B. Blottière, N. Clarke, B. Gibbs, D. J. Groves, A. Hakiki, R. Heenan, J. M. Johnson, R. Kant, D.J. Read, R. N. Young, "Dynamics of Entangled H-Polymers: Theory, Rheology and Neutron-Scattering" Macromolecules, 32, 6734-6758 (1999).
A. Wischnewski, M. Monkenbusch, L. Willner , D. Richter, A.E Likhtman, T.C.B. McLeish, B. Farago, "Molecular observation of contour-length fluctuations limiting topological confinement in polymer melts", Phys. Rev. Lett., 88, 058301 (2002).
J. Bent, L. R. Hutchings, R. W. Richards, T. Gough, R. Spares, P. D. Coates, I. Grillo, O. G. Harlen, D. J. Read, R. S. Graham, A. E. Likhtman, D. J. Groves, T. M. Nicholson, and T. C. B. McLeish, "Neutron-Mapping Polymer Flow: Scattering, Flow Visualization, and Molecular Theory", Science, 301,1691-1695 (2003).
R.J. Hawkins and T.C.B. McLeish, "Coarse-Grained Model of Entropic Allostery", Phys. Rev. Letts, 93, 098104 (2004).
T.C.B. McLeish, "Protein Folding in High-Dimensional Spaces: Hypergutters and the Role of Nonnative Interactions", Biophysical Journal, 88, 172-183 (2005).
M. Kawakami, K. Burne, B. Khatri, T.C.B. McLeish, S.E. Radford and D.A. Smith, "Viscoelastic Properties of Single Polysaccharide Molecules Determined by Analysis of Thermally Driven Oscillations of an Atomic Force Microscope Cantilever", Langmuir, 20, 9299-9303 (2004).
T. C. B. McLeish and W. C. K. Poon, "Real Absences in the Sciences: Scientists' Response to George Steiner's Real Presences",Theology, (2) (1999)
T.C.B. McLeish, "Values in Science Research" in "Values in Higher Education" S. Robinson and C. Katulushi eds., Aureus Publishing (2005)
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Framework agreement signed for pioneering Infrastructure Tariff
A new agreement that is expected to raise more that £300 million to help pay for the growth of Milton Keynes has been signed.
Top government official visits Milton Keynes
Communities and Local Government Permanent Secretary, Peter Housden, recently visited Milton Keynes to see how growth is developing in the 'new city' and in particular those areas where MKP is responsible for project delivery.
Annual Review 2006
The MKPC Annual Review is designed to update you on our activities and to highlight some of the year’s major achievements.
