Lucas Goehring

Lucas Goehring is a Professor in the Physics and Maths department at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), where he leads an experimental research group studying pattern formation and complex fluids. His work spans fundamental physics of mechanical instabilities to interdisciplinary applications in geophysics and biophysics. He teaches condensed matter physics, forensic image processing, and first-year physics labs, with prior teaching experience in environmental physics, non-linear dynamics, and soft matter physics.

Goehring's educational background includes a PhD from the University of Toronto on columnar joints (e.g., Giant's Causeway), followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge studying colloidal drying and cracking. He later habilitated while teaching at the University of Göttingen during his tenure as a research group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation.

His research centers on complex fluids and solids – multi-phase materials where microscopic structure determines macroscopic properties. Key themes include:

• Mechanical instabilities (fractures, wrinkling, buckling)
• Geophysical pattern formation (salt polygons, columnar joints, mud cracks)
• Colloidal dispersion dynamics (drying paint, biogenic systems)
• Cross-scale physics connecting nano/micro to macro behavior

This work addresses fundamental questions about structural emergence in nature, applying solid mechanics and complex systems theory to diverse phenomena from reptile scales to Martian permafrost.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals dominant trends in porous media convection (salt lakes, dry soils), biophysical pattern formation (cyanobacteria mats), and colloidal drying mechanics. These span interdisciplinary fields including geophysics, soft matter physics, and active matter, with consistent focus on experimental validation through microfluidics and advanced imaging techniques.

Goehring actively supervises PhD students including P.S. Atkinson (2024) and M. Emerse (2023), with research opportunities available in MPhil/PhD programs at NTU. His major international collaborations include Bernard Cabane (ESPCI ParisTech), Ran Holtzman (Hebrew University), Eleni Katifori (University of Pennsylvania), and Max Planck Institute researchers in biophysics.

He maintains an affiliated position at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation and serves on the editorial board of Proceedings of the Royal Society A, while leading an experimental lab focused on pattern formation in complex materials.