Dr Gary Wells

Gary is a Reader in Surfaces and Wetting at the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh.  He earned a BSc in 2005 and a PhD from Nottingham Trent University in 2009. Prior to joining the University of Edinburgh, he worked in industrial research at the Hewlett-Packard Display Research Lab and later served as an anniversary research fellow at Northumbria University, Newcastle. At Edinburgh, he is involved in and leads experimental research and development within the Wetting, Interfacial Science and Engineering group in the  Institute of Multiscale Thermofluids.

• BSc (Hons) Physics with Astrophysics
• PhD "Voltage Programmable Liquid Optical Interfaces

• Member of Istitute of Physics (IOP)
• Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy
• Member of the EPSRC College of Reviewers
• Committee member if IOP Printing, Graphic and Imaging Group

General Engineering 1: Course Organiser

Chemical Engineering Design 1: Co-Course Organiser

Electrical and Electronic Engineering 1: Co-Course Organiser

Gary's research focuses on the applications of surface coatings, and he designs and builds experiments and instrumentation to produce and understand the adhesion and friction of droplets on surfaces. He has conducted experimental research into surface coatings and their various applications. The coatings he has developed can be used in many applications, including heat and mass transfer and anti-fouling. 

As part of the WISE group, Gary collaborates with theoreticians to develop instrumentation and experiments to test and understand solid-liquid interfaces. His experimental research has led to multiple publications in high-ranking journals, with over 50 peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Langmuir, Nature Communications, Soft Matter, and the Journal of Fluid Mechanics.