James is a soft matter physicist with a PhD from the University of Edinburgh on the rheology of concentrated suspensions. In collaboration with AkzoNobel as part of the Soft Matter and Functional Interfaces CDT, his work focussed on linking microscopic interactions to bulk behaviour, establishing a new understanding of how surfactants tune suspension flow by controlling frictional contact. Click here to read about dense suspensions.
Continuing in Edinburgh as a postdoctoral researcher, he developed novel microscopy analysis techniques for turbid complex fluids based upon differential dynamic microscopy. This included particle sizing for flowing colloidal suspensions, suitable for in-line testing, and probes of the microscopic yielding dynamics for soft solids, to gain mechanistic insight into formulations.
Through ECFP, James has worked with various companies including projects such as looking at the use of concentrated suspensions in display glass applications, using tribo-rheology to understand the lubrication properties of complex fluids and understanding the behaviour of sucrose particles in chocolate during mastication.
Currently as research fellow, his research interests lie in developing new experimental techniques, such as contactless interfacial rheology, and phenomenological models to explore the intricate interplay between fluid flow, surface deformation and non-Newtonian rheology found in the varied applications of soft matter.
Read about James and the team’s recent work on studying fresh cement as a dense suspension.
Student projects:
Tereza Prokopová, Formulation metamorphosis, PhD supervised by Dr Daniel Hodgson, Prof. David Moore and Dr James Richards
Amy Pearse, From suspension to granular flow: particle interactions in landslides, MPhys 2025-26 with Dr Eric Breard
Finlay Bryden, Rheological transitions in fungal biofilms, MPhys 2025-26 with Dr Gavin Melaugh and Dr Ryan Morris
Alice Sikora, Heterogeneous particle mixtures in pastes and suspensions, Industry Summer Project 2025 with Mondelēz International (Dr Tom Curwen)
Ella Allen, Seized chocolate: Beyond a culinary catastrophe, Industry Summer Project 2024 with Mondelēz International (Dr Tom Curwen)
Senior Honours Projects:
Gregor Thomson (2025-), Ellis Black (2025), Tianze Li (2025), Fiona Jeffrey (2024), Lovro Kužić (2024), Hao Li (2024), Faye Leggett (2024), Pablo Sandquist (2023), Ludo Rothman (2023)