Philip Withers

Withers was educated at the University of Cambridge where he was awarded an undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences (Physics) in 1985 followed by a PhD degree in the metallurgy of Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) in 1988.^[7]

Following his doctorate, Withers was appointed a lecturer at Cambridge before being appointed Professor at the University of Manchester in 1998.^[8] His research investigates the application of advanced techniques to follow the behaviour of engineering and natural materials in real time and in 3D.^{[4][9][10][11]}

In 2008 Withers set up the Henry Moseley Manchester X-ray Imaging Facility (MXIF),^[12] which has extensive suites of 3D X-ray Imaging facilities. In 2012, Withers became the inaugural Director of the BP International Centre for Advanced Materials (ICAM) aimed understanding and developing materials across the energy industry.^[13] ICAM is a collaboration between BP, The University of Manchester, The University of Cambridge, Imperial College London and the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.^[13]

With Bill Clyne, he is a co-author of the textbook An Introduction to Metal Matrix Composites.^[14] His research has been funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).^[15]

Withers was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) in 2005 and a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2016.^[16][17] In 2014, the University of Manchester was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize, recognising Withers work at the Manchester X-ray Imaging Facility. He was elected a Fellow of the International Core Academy of Sciences and Humanities in 2024.^[18]