Leeds physicist wins top UK polymer science prize
A Leeds scientist has secured the highest honour in UK polymer physics, recognising research that is reshaping how materials respond under pressure.
Professor Helen Gleeson, from the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leeds, has been awarded the Polymer Physics Group Founders’ Prize – the most prestigious distinction in the field in the UK. The biennial award recognises outstanding contributions to polymer physics connected to the UK or Ireland.
Established to commemorate Professor Andrew Keller, the prize is presented by the Polymer Physics Group of the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry. Previous recipients include Sir Sam Edwards, while the late Professor Tom McLeish, who held a chair in polymer physics at Leeds between 1993 and 2008, received the honour in 2011.
Professor Gleeson’s award recognises her work on liquid crystal elastomers – materials that combine the ordering of liquid crystals with the elasticity of rubber. Her team discovered that these substances could function as mechanical metamaterials with a negative Poisson’s ratio, meaning they become thicker when stretched rather than thinner. This counterintuitive response opens possibilities for improved impact and delamination resistance.
The discovery has been patented and led to the formation of a Leeds spin-out company, Auxetec Ltd, which is scaling up production with an eye on applications ranging from protective structures to advanced engineering systems. The underpinning research, which clarified the molecular origins of the unusual mechanical behaviour, is supported by an EPSRC Established Career Fellowship awarded in 2022.
Dr Thomas Raistrick (left) and Dr Stuart Berrow are among the early-career researchers who have been heavily involved in Professor Gleeson's award-winning work.
Professor Gleeson said: “It’s a real honour to receive this award for work that only became possible when I moved to Leeds in 2015; the facilities for soft matter and collegiate approach to research offered exactly the right environment for the project.
“Special recognition must go to the team of early-career scientists who I have had the privilege of working with. Together, we discovered a new family of materials, unravelled the physics behind their auxetic response, and discovered their design principles.
“The prize is also important to our work on real-world applications through Auxetec Ltd, as it recognises the innovative nature of the materials. Going forward, there remain many exciting possibilities for auxetic liquid crystal elastomers, which are highly relevant to the nationally important area of metamaterials.”
The prize will be formally presented at the Physical Aspects of Polymer Science 2026 conference in Nottingham, where Professor Gleeson will deliver the Founders’ Prize Lecture on 10 September before a formal dinner.
Professor Gleeson is an experimental physicist who has published more than 220 papers and delivered over 350 conference presentations. Her career has focused on understanding how nanoscale molecular features determine large-scale physical properties and on developing applications ranging from photonic devices to switchable contact lenses.
She was made an OBE in 2009 for services to science, particularly her work encouraging women to study physics, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics.
