Staff and students in the Department of Physics have a wide range of research interests grouped into five major themes:
- Applied Mathematics
- Applied Physics
- Astrophysics
- Data Science
- Physics and Mathematics of Biological Systems
We are particularly strong in the fields of nonlinear dynamics and chaos, and applying mathematical modelling to a wide range of problems in the life sciences.
Additional areas of research by individual staff members are described on individual staff pages.
In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (), 35% of our were rated 4* (world-leading) and 63% were rated 3* (internationally excellent). We made a joint submission in Unit 10: Mathematical Sciences with the Department of Mathematics, and ranked 23rd among UK institutions in this category. Our outputs were in the top 20% for submissions with 10-30 REF-eligible staff.
Our recent research has been funded by the , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and .
Learn more about our research themes
Student research
Student participation in research is a fundamental part of our degree programmes.
Students on the BSc Physics degree and joint degrees with Physics do a 4th year project over two terms, supervised by one of the academic staff. Recent projects covered topics such as magnetic resonance imaging, climate modelling, exoplanet transits, and optical tweezers.
Our MSc Data Science students do a data science project as the final course before graduation, making use of all the concepts and methods learned throughout the programme. This is supervised by an academic member of staff and sometimes external partners. Recent projects covered topics such as DNA replication, electrocardiograms, gravity waves, and the statistics of football.
PhD in Physics students are fully immersed in the Department's research activities. Many recent PhD theses can be accessed through the University's .
Image credits: Themes L to R - Roland Young, Scott Doyle, Charles Wang (and background), Marco Thiel, Murilo Baptista.