Mark Christian Leake

Mark Christian Leake is the Anniversary Chair of Biological Physics at the University of York, holding a joint appointment between the Physics and Biology Departments within the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology. He serves as Coordinator of the Physics of Life Group, which hosts approximately 50 cross-disciplinary researchers, and previously served as Director and Founder of the Biological Physical Sciences Institute from 2013-2019. Leake is also an active Visiting Professor at Oxford University's Department of Physics since 2013.

Leake's research focuses on developing innovative biophysical instrumentation and applying these tools to address fundamental biological questions at the single-molecule level. His work spans several key areas: DNA gyrase mechanisms as an antibiotic target; DNA replication and repair processes; signal transduction and gene regulation in yeast; DNA topology and protein interactions; and liquid-liquid phase separation in cells. His laboratory has constructed a wide range of custom light microscopy instruments including TIRF microscopy, smFRET, optical and magnetic tweezers, and rapid millisecond single-molecule imaging systems.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on liquid-liquid phase separation phenomena across biological systems, DNA mechanics and replication processes, and the development of novel biophysical techniques to study these phenomena in vivo. His work increasingly bridges physics, biology, and medicine, with applications in antibiotic development, cancer research, and photosynthesis optimization.

• Rosalind Franklin Medal, Institute of Physics (2020)
• Young Investigator Award, British Biophysical Society (2010)
• Royal Society University Research Fellowship (2007)
• Daiwa Adrian Anglo-Japanese Prize (2007)
• Elected Fellow of the Institute of Physics, Royal Microscopical Society, and Royal Society of Biology

Leake has secured significant research funding including EPSRC and BBSRC grants for projects such as 'The Biophysics of Mesoscale, Reversible, Biomolecular Assemblies' and 'How bacteria replicate their DNA in spite of barriers, one molecule at a time.' He actively mentors students and early-career researchers, having published a guide titled 'Surviving Early Career Research and Beyond in Biophysics/Biological Physics.' Leake leads the Physics of Life Group, which functions as a Discovery Research Theme fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between physical and life scientists at York.