William Parnell

William Parnell is a Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Manchester's School of Mathematics. His research focuses on continuum mechanics, metamaterials, and industrial composites, with applications in soft tissue mechanics and acoustic wave manipulation. He leads the Mathematics of Waves and Materials (MWM) group and co-founded the Manchester Materials Modelling Centre (M3C). He has held roles including EPSRC Fellowship 'NEMESIS' (2014-2019) and its extension, contributing to transformative materials science.

• Education:
  • BSc Mathematics (First Class), University of Bristol (1996-1999)
  • MSc Mathematical Modelling and Scientific Computing (Distinction), University of Oxford (1999-2000)
  • PhD in Applied Mathematics, University of Manchester (2001-2004)

His research interests span elastic wave propagation, cloaking, and viscoelastic modeling. He has pioneered hyperelastic cloaking techniques and developed mathematical methods for metamaterials. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to advanced materials and digital innovation.

Key achievements include the 2019 Whitehead Prize and over 80 publications. His grants include funding for microstructured material design and collaborations with Thales UK and the National Physical Laboratory.

• Grants & Awards:
  • EPSRC Fellowships (NEMESIS and extension)
  • Whitehead Prize (2019)
• Labs/Teams:
  • MWM Group (focusing on waves and materials)
  • M3C (Manchester Materials Modelling Centre)