Dr Ben B. Xu  FRSC, FIMMM, FRSA, FICS, is a professor(full) in materials and energy with a multi-disciplinary research interest covering functional materials, energy conversion&storage, applied mechanics, micro-engineering,  and sustainable and enrironmental technology. Ben obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Heriot-watt University in 2011. He subsequently worked as a postdoc researcher in Department of Polymer Science and Engineering at University of Massachusetts Amherst (US, 2011-2013). Ben is a visiting professor in UCLA (US), University of Alberta (CA), The University of Sydney (AU), Manipal University (India), etc. 

Ben is a regional lead (Northeast of England) for The Association of British Chinese Professors (ABCP) and chair for the Materials Characterisation&Properties Group in the Institute of Materials, Mining and Minerals (IoM³). He has published 14 patents, 9 book(incl. chapter) and over 300 peer-reviewed articles in the leading journals, including Sci. Adv., Nat. Commun., Adv. Mater., Angewandte Chemie, Adv. Energy. Mater., Adv. Fun. Mater., Energy. Environ. Sci., Chem. Soc. Rev., ACS Nano, Nano Letters, Chem. Sci., Phys. Rev. Lett., etc (h-index 75). Ben has been invited to give 120+ invited/plenary talks in international conferences/leading institutions, chaired 40+ international events and reviewed paper publications for 100+ journals. He serves as an associate editor for EcoMat (Wiley) and Advanced Devices & Instrumentation (AAAS), and an editorial board member for Nano Materials Science (Elesevier). He received awards as Product/innovation of the Year 2025 award at CIBSE Building Performance Awards(2025), Stanford/Elsevier World Top 2% Scientists (2024&2025), Nano-Micro Letters ESI TOP ARTICLE AWARDS (2024&2023), Excellence in Research- mid-career award from AICHE (2023), 2023 Technology for Social Impact Award in The IET Excellence and Innovation Award Event, the Outstanding Paper Award at the 2018 IEEE International Flexible Electronics Technology Conference, 2016 Young Investigator Award from the International Polymer Networks Group, etc.  

Ben is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Mining and Minerals (FIMMM), Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA), Fellow of India Chemical Society (FICS). He has been holding leadingship roles in different councils, such as:
1. An elected member in the Advisory Council in IoM³ from 2019;
2. An elected member in the RSC Materials Chemistry Division Council (2020-2023);
3. RSC North East Coast Committee member from 2020;
4. The executive committee member for The Chinese Society of Chemical Science and Technology (CSCST-UK) from 2016; 
5. The area Chair(2024)/vice Chair(2023) of 'composites' (08F) in AICHE (US).

Progresses from Ben’s research have been featured by media presses in 

2020:

EPSRC: https://epsrc.ukri.org/newsevents/news/researchers-discover-novel-optical-sensing-technology/  

Materials World: https://www.iom3.org/materials-world-magazine/news/2020/jun/03/elastic-folding-soft-matter-surfaces-aids-highcontrast

Materials views china: https://www.materialsviewschina.com/2020/09/48634/   

phys.org: https://phys.org/news/2020-04-optical-technology.html

NECONNECTED: https://neconnected.co.uk/fold-to-glitter-researchers-discover-novel-optical-sensing-technology/

polymer.cn: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/6VDqUepzulrDgX_yWjnv2g

2019:

UK Fluids Network: https://fluids.mzs.arpa.cam.ac.uk

phys.org: https://phys.org/news/2019-07-red-wine-key-next-gen-wearable.html

Materials views china: https://www.materialsviewschina.com/2019/08/39476/?from=timeline&isappinstalled=0

Before 2019:

NECONNECTED: https://neconnected.co.uk/northumbria-scientists-win-national-photography-prize/

Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/science/gallery/2017/apr/03/from-eureka-to-equipment-images-that-show-another-side-of-science-in-pictures-epsrc-photo-competition-2017

Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/02/epsrc-photography-competition-2017/dr-ben-xu-mr-ding-wang3rd-placeeureka-discovery-categorythis/

Materials views china: https://www.materialsviewschina.com/2016/04/21008/

Dr Xu is currently leading a research group in Northumbria to develop multidisciplinary research programmes, from fundamental understanding on engineering science to innovating the enabling technologies. His researches in extreme mechanics and functional materials includes the design and understanding of morphing structures, the development of novel flexible/wearable sensing/actuating structure/devices, the realization of functional surface/interface with unique chemical-physical features, the innovation of new circular economy technology using recycled plastic wastes and the exploration of future renewable energy solutions.

He has developed a novel approach to realise the sensing/actuation function by introducing elastic instabilities into the micro-engineered structure in a controllable manner, which shed extra lights in developing future micro-devices, especially in the sectors of flexible/wearable electronics, soft robots, etc. His work on soft active matter and developing novel micro-device is supported by the Royal Society, EPSRC and industries.

Progresses from Ben’s research have been featured by media presses in EPSRC,Materials World, UK Fluids Network, phys.org 2020, NECONNECTED 2020, phys.org 2019, Guardian, Telegraph, NECONNECTED 2019, polymer.cn, Materials views china 2019, Materials views china 2016.