Joseph Webber

Joseph Webber is a Research Fellow at the Warwick Mathematics Institute, University of Warwick, where he works in Professor Tom Montenegro-Johnson's group on the Leverhulme-funded project "Shape Transforming Active Matter." Previously, he completed his PhD at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP) at the University of Cambridge under the supervision of Professor Grae Worster.

Dr. Webber is an applied mathematician specializing in the intersection of fluid mechanics and soft matter physics, with a particular focus on hydrogels. His research encompasses:

• Poroelasticity and the behavior of porous, deformable media
• Responsive hydrogels that change volume in response to environmental stimuli
• Theory development for hydrogel modeling, particularly the "linear-elastic-nonlinear-swelling" (LENS) approach
• Freezing dynamics of hydrogels and cryosuction phenomena
• Swelling and drying behavior of super-absorbent polymers
• Wrinkling instabilities in swelling hydrogels

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on developing mathematical frameworks to understand hydrogel behavior across various conditions. The research shows progression from fundamental modeling approaches to applications in soft robotics, microfluidics, and bio-inspired devices. Key themes include the coupling between fluid flow, elastic deformation, and chemical reactions in responsive materials, with particular attention to time-dependent phenomena and pattern formation.

Scientific achievements include:

• IMA Lighthill-Thwaites Prize finalist (2025)
• First prize for a 10-minute talk at DAMTP Friday Fluids (2022)

Dr. Webber has supervised courses in applied mathematics as part of the Cambridge Mathematical Tripos and lectured portions of the Part IA Introduction to Mechanics course. His teaching resources include detailed notes on fluid dynamics, variational principles, and stress tensor analysis. He has also created a YouTube playlist introducing fluid mechanics and continuum mechanics basics.

He is actively involved in the UK Hydrogels Network and maintains a mailing list for researchers working on hydrogels in the UK. His current research in the Montenegro-Johnson group focuses on developing theoretical models for responsive hydrogels and their applications in active matter systems.