Tim Pedley is an applied mathematician who has pioneered the application of fluid mechanics to understanding biological phenomena. His best-known work includes the study of blood flow in arteries, flow–structure interactions in elastic tubes, flow and pressure drop in the lung, and the collective behaviour of swimming microorganisms.

His research has touched on issues of medical importance, including arterial bypass grafts, urine flow from kidneys to bladder, and the ventilation of premature infants. His work on microorganisms has application to plankton ecology.

Tim has received many prestigious awards in his field, including the 2008 Gold Medal of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. In recognition of his research achievements, he was elected Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Engineering in 1999, and subsequently Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the American Physical Society, of National Academy of Sciences, India, and Member of the Academia Europaea. He has served as Chair of the World Council of Biomechanics and President of the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics.