Sir Andre Geim is Regius Professor and Royal Society Research Professor at The University of Manchester. He has received many international awards and distinctions, including the John Carty Prize from the US National Academy of Sciences and the Copley Medal from the Royal Society. Most notably, he was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for his ground-breaking work on graphene.
During his career, Andre Geim has published many research papers, of which more than 20 are cited over 1,000 times and 4 are cited over 10,000 times. Two of thelatter are now on the list of the 100 most cited research papers in human history. Thomson-Reuters has repeatedly named him among the world’s most active scientists and attributes to him the initiation of three new research fronts – diamagnetic levitation, gecko tape and graphene.
Andre was also awarded the IgNobel prize in 2000 for his work on levitating frogs, becoming the only recipient of both Nobel and IgNobel Prizes. He has received both Dutch and British knighthoods.
Andre received a diploma (MSc degree equivalent) from MIPT in 1982 and a Candidate of Sciences (PhD equivalent) degree in metal physics in 1987 from the Institute of Solid State Physics (ISSP) at the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) in Chernogolovka.
Geim’s achievements include the discovery of a simple method for isolating single atomic layers of graphite, known as graphene, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Manchester And IMT. The team published their findings in October 2004 in Science.
Graphene consists of one-atom-thick layers of carbon atoms arranged in two-dimensional hexagons, and is the thinnest material in the world, as well as one of the strongest and hardest. The material has many potential applications.
Geim said one of the first applications of graphene could be in the development of flexible touchscreens, and that he has not patented the material because he would need a specific application and an industrial partner.
Geim also developed a biomimetic adhesive which became known as gecko tape—so called because it works on the same principle as adhesion of gecko feet—research of which is still in the early stages. It is hoped that the development will eventually allow humans to scale ceilings, like Spider-Man.
Geim’s research in 1997 into the possible effects of magnetism on water scaling led to the famous discovery of direct diamagnetic levitation of water, and led to a frog being levitated. For this experiment, he and Michael Berry received the 2000 Ig Nobel Prize.
Geim has also carried out research on mesoscopic physics and superconductivity.
Expanding the scope of his research adventures, Geim started studying low-dimensional water in 2012, after his Nobel-prize achievements. A part of this work was acknowledged by the 2018 International Creativity Prize for Water.
