Doug Cleaver

Doug Cleaver is a Professor of Materials Modelling and Director of the Doctoral School at Sheffield Hallam University. He has been with the institution since 1994, following postdoctoral work in Chemistry at Southampton. His academic roles include leading doctoral programs and supervising over 20 completed PhDs. He holds a Personal Chair since 2009 and received the 2012 Cyril Hilsum Medal for contributions to liquid crystal research.

Research interests focus on molecular and mesoscopic modeling of soft matter systems, including liquid crystals, self-assembling nanostructures, and computational techniques like molecular dynamics and lattice Boltzmann methods. Key projects involve hierarchical fiber assembly, clay-polymer composites, and supramolecular gyroid structures. Collaborations span international partners such as CCP5 and STFC Daresbury Laboratory.

Publications emphasize novel simulation approaches, with over 50 papers and 1000 citations. Recent work includes studies on oblate particle confinement, gyroid phase formation, and pear-shaped colloids. Awards include the Cyril Hilsum Medal (2012) for mid-career contributions to liquid crystal science.

• Grants: EPSRC, EU FP7, and industrial partners (HP, Rolls Royce).
• Outreach: Public lectures and simulations for the Soft Matter World initiative.
• External examiner for over 20 PhDs globally.

Labs/Teams: Active in STFC Daresbury’s DL_POLY simulations and international collaborations on soft matter systems.