Professor Giles Davies named as Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales
The Learned Society of Wales has named Giles Davies, Professor of Electronic and Photonic Engineering at Leeds, among its new Fellows for 2026.
The announcement of this year’s 44 new Fellows, with Giles Davies among them, celebrates the depth and breadth of research, innovation, leadership and creativity.
Professor Davies, together with his wider team of colleagues and collaborators, has made outstanding contributions to the development of the terahertz quantum cascade laser, and pioneering advances in terahertz imaging, spectroscopy, and microscopy, underpinning the spectacular international growth of the field over the last twenty-five years.
Terahertz frequency radiation occupies a fascinating position in the electromagnetic spectrum, sitting at the interface between electronics and optics. However, there are long-standing challenges to access and exploit this scientifically rich region. Professor Davies and his team have helped open this region of the spectrum for investigation and exploitation.
In 2016, Professor Davies was named a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, in part due to his pioneering work in terahertz frequency science. In partnership with Italy’s CNR Istituto Nanoscienze and the Technical University of Munich, his team achieved mode locking in terahertz lasers – a landmark breakthrough – and this year, alongside Dr Jayaprasath Elumalai, Dr Joshua Freeman, and colleagues at UCL, demonstrated the technology's potential for secure, high-speed wireless communication.
Professor Hywel Thomas FREng FRS, President of the Learned Society of Wales, said: “Welcoming our new Fellows to the Society is always one of the highlights of the Society’s year. I congratulate them on this recognition of the excellence the importance of their work and contributions to life in Wales and beyond.
“We look forward to bringing their experience and knowledge to our work on policy and researcher development.”
Professor Davies joins other members of the University as Fellows of the Learned Society, including Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Professor Nora de Leeuw (2016); the School of Computer Science’s Professor Anthony Cohn (2024); and the University’s Chancellor, Professor Dame Jane Francis (2025).
