Maria Charalambides CEng, FIMechE, is Professor in Mechanics of Materials and Head of the Mechanics of Materials Research Division in the Mechanical Engineering Department, Imperial College London. She leads the Soft Solids Research group and is interested in material modelling and mechanical characterisation of soft polymeric solids, micromechanics models of particulate filled polymeric composites as well as cellular structures, experimental and numerical modelling of industrial food processes such as rolling, extrusion and cutting, and fracture and deformation in paint and adhesive coatings. Her work has been funded from EPSRC, BBSRC, Innovate UK, Mars, Nestlé, Mondelez and PepsiCo. She is a member of the IMechE’s Food and Drink Engineering Committee and is President elect of the British Society of Rheology. She has published over 100 papers and has received funding from industry (eg AWE, PepsiCo, Nestle, Mondelez) and RCUK.
The Society was founded as an informal British Rheologists’ Club in 1940 and it has grown greatly since then, and today has over 300 members from the UK and further afield, distributed worldwide. However, it still strives to preserve the informal Club atmosphere with members drawn from both academic life and from a wide range of industrial activities. Our members come from many scientific disciplines including materials science, engineering, medicine, chemistry, biology, biochemistry, physics, mathematics and computer science. All offices of the Society are honorary appointments and an elected Council is the governing body. Members typically serve on Council for a period of four years: if you would be interested in contributing to the running of the BSR, please do contact the President or Honorary Secretary for further information.
The BSR runs a number of annual scientific meetings, including the Non-Newtonian Club, as well as providing many other services to its members, such as our own bulletin publication. Student members are invited to apply for travel awards (financial grants to help towards covering the costs of attending conferences worldwide), and each year we hold a competition for the best Ph.D. thesis in rheology, by awarding the Vernon Harrison Prize. We also make an Annual Award to a distinguished rheologist and periodically award the BSR Gold Medal: the most recent recipient was John Hinch, who received his medal at the Midwinter Meeting in January 2021.
The BSR runs a number of annual scientific meetings, including the Non-Newtonian Club, as well as providing many other services to its members, such as our own bulletin publication. Student members are invited to apply for travel awards (financial grants to help towards covering the costs of attending conferences worldwide), and each year we hold a competition for the best Ph.D. thesis in rheology, by awarding the Vernon Harrison Prize. We also make an Annual Award to a distinguished rheologist and periodically award the BSR Gold Medal: the most recent recipient was John Hinch, who received his medal at the Midwinter Meeting in January 2021.