Richard A. Jones (physicist) facts for kids

Richard Anthony Lewis Jones was born in 1961. He is a professor who studies how materials work, especially soft materials like plastics. He also looks at how science can help make new rules and plans for society. He teaches at the University of Manchester. Before that, he was a professor at the University of Sheffield until 2020.

Richard Jones's Education

Richard Jones went to Denstone College for his schooling. Later, he studied at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. There, he took a special course called the Natural Sciences Tripos. This course lets students learn about many different science subjects. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics in 1983.

He continued his studies at the University of Cambridge. For his PhD, which is a very high university degree, he researched how different types of plastics mix together. This is called "diffusion in polymer blends."

His Career and Research

After finishing his PhD, Richard Jones did more research at Cornell University in the United States. This is called "postdoctoral research." Then, he became a lecturer at the University of Cambridge. A lecturer is a university teacher. He worked at the famous Cavendish Laboratory. In 1998, he became a full professor at the University of Sheffield.

What Does He Research?

Professor Jones studies the physics of materials like Polymers. Polymers are long chains of molecules, like plastics or rubber. He also studies Biopolymers, which are similar materials found in living things, like proteins. He looks at how these materials behave on surfaces and where different materials meet, called interfaces. His work helps us understand how different plastics can be mixed.

He was one of the first scientists to use special tools called ion beams. These beams helped him study how one part of a plastic mix moves to the surface. This led to experiments using neutron reflectivity to study how interfaces between materials become wider.

His experiments also showed how the thickness of very thin films affects their Glass transitions. This is the temperature where a material changes from a hard, glassy state to a softer, rubbery state. His work has opened up a new area of research.

Professor Jones has also studied how proteins change when they are on surfaces. This is called denaturation. He showed that how much a surface likes water (its "hydrophilicity") strongly affects proteins. This research is important for understanding problems like things sticking to surfaces or even some diseases.

Books and Ideas

In 2018, Richard Jones wrote a book called The Biomedical Bubble with James Wilsdon. In this book, they suggested that a big science funding group in the UK, called United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI), should support a wider range of science projects. They believed that science funding should include more different ideas, places, and people.

In 2020, Professor Jones moved to the University of Manchester to continue his work.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Professor Jones has received several important awards for his scientific work:

• In 2006, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK. He was recognized for his "substantial contributions to the improvement of natural knowledge."
• In 2008, he won the Institute of Physics David Tabor Medal and Prize. This award is given for important work in the physics of materials.
• In 2021, he was also chosen to be a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales. This is another special recognition for his contributions to science.