Helen Gleeson

Professor Helen Gleeson OBE is the Cavendish Professor of Physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leeds. She has held leadership positions in both the University of Manchester (Head of School, Dean for Research for Engineering and Physical Sciences) and at the University of Leeds (Head of School). She has more than 35 years of experience of experimental studies of liquid crystals, from a fundamental, deep understanding of their physical properties to new device inventions and discoveries. 

Helen graduated from the University of Manchester in 1983 with a 1st class degree in Mathematics and Physics and with a PhD in experimental physics in 1986. She gained a lectureship in 1989 and became a professor of physics at Manchester in 2003.  She has pioneered many experimental techniques for the study of liquid crystals and devices, developing a deep understanding of their physical properties relevant to uses. She has invented devices including smart, switchable focus contact lenses, novel sensors and, most recently the first molecular auxetic material. 

Helen has supervised more than 33 postgraduate students, collaborating with many industrial partners. She has co-edited textbooks for liquid crystals, published ~200 papers in leading journals and given hundreds of conferences presentations.  Her research achievements have been recognised by national and international awards by learned societies; the Hilsum and George Gray Medals of the British Liquid Crystal Society; the Holweck Prize, the Institute of Physics and French Physical Society Bilateral award, the Rank Prize Lecture in 2016 and the BLCS Sturgeon Lecture in 2022. 

Helen is very active in outreach and in issues around equality and inclusion. She was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2009 that acknowledged her work on equality and inclusion in physics in addition to her scientific achievements. She won the 2018 Times Higher Education Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year award, reflecting both her approach to mentoring early career researchers and to improving the environment for minorities. She chairs the Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarship Fund and was appointed as the Institute of Physics Advisor to Council for Inclusion and Diversity in November 2021.  Helen currently holds a prestigious Established Career Fellowship awarded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council in the UK.