Tim Pedley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tim Pedley
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| Born | 23 March 1942 |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Awards | Mayhew Prize (1963) Adams Prize (1977) IMA Gold Medal (2008) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Johns Hopkins University Imperial College London University of Cambridge University of Leeds |
| Thesis | Plumes, Bubbles and Vortices (1966) |
| Doctoral advisor | George Batchelor |
| Doctoral students | Sarah L. Waters |
Timothy John Pedley (born March 23, 1942) is a British mathematician. He used to be a special professor of fluid mechanics at the University of Cambridge. Fluid mechanics is the study of how liquids and gases move. Mr. Pedley was very interested in using this science to understand how things work in biology and medicine.
Contents
Early Life and School
Timothy Pedley's parents were Richard Rodman Pedley and Jeanie Mary Mudie Pedley. He went to Rugby School and later studied at Trinity College, Cambridge.
His Career in Science
After finishing his studies, Mr. Pedley spent three years at Johns Hopkins University. He worked there as a researcher. From 1968 to 1973, he taught at Imperial College London.
Moving to Cambridge
After that, he moved to the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP) at the University of Cambridge. He stayed at Cambridge until 1990.
Professor at Leeds
In 1990, he became a professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Leeds. He taught there for several years.
Back to Cambridge
In 1996, he returned to Cambridge. From 2000 to 2005, he was the head of the DAMTP department.
What He Studied
Mr. Pedley was a pioneer in using fluid mechanics to understand how living things work. He studied many important things, like:
- How blood flows in arteries (the tubes that carry blood in your body).
- How liquids move through flexible tubes, like blood vessels.
- How air flows and changes pressure in the lungs.
- How tiny living things, like plankton, swim together.
Helping Medicine
His research helped doctors understand many medical issues. For example, he studied:
- How arterial bypass grafts work. These are new tubes doctors put in to help blood flow.
- How urine flows from the kidneys to the bladder.
- How to help ventilate (help breathe) very small babies born too early.
Helping Nature
His work on tiny swimming creatures also helped scientists understand plankton ecology. This is how plankton interact with their environment.
Awards and Honors
Mr. Pedley has received many important awards for his work.
- He is a fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.
- In 1995, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very special honor for scientists in the UK.
- In 1999, he was chosen to be a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was for his research on how fluids move in living things. He also studied how flexible tubes work and how fish and tiny creatures swim.
- In 2008, Mr. Pedley and Professor James Murray won the IMA Gold Medal. This award is for amazing contributions to mathematics.
European Recognition
In 2024, he received the Fluid Mechanics Prize from the European Mechanics Society. This award recognized his important work in fluid mechanics related to biology and medicine. It also honored his leadership in the fluid mechanics community around the world.
Family Life
In 1965, Timothy Pedley married Avril Jennifer Martin Uden. They have two sons. In his free time, he enjoys birdwatching, running, and reading books.
