Elfed Lewis

Elfed Lewis is a Professor in the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering at the University of Limerick's Faculty of Science and Engineering. He serves as Director of the Optical Fibre Sensors Research Centre (OFSRC) and is a member of both the Limerick Digital Cancer Research Centre and the Optical Fibre Sensors Research Centre. With over 28 years of academic leadership since joining University of Limerick in 1996, Professor Lewis has established himself as a world-renowned researcher in optical fiber sensing technologies, with more than 200 journal papers and 150 conference contributions.

Professor Lewis earned his BEng (Hons) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Liverpool University in 1981 and completed his PhD from the same institution in 1987. His doctoral research focused on high-speed photography and spectroscopy of electric circuit breaker arcs during the current zero phase. Prior to joining UL, he worked with BICC Telecom Cables and established a research group at Liverpool John Moores University.

Professor Lewis's research spans Optoelectronics, Neural Networks, Optical Fibre Sensors, and Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation, with significant applications in medical physics (particularly radiation dosimetry for cancer treatment), environmental monitoring, and industrial sensing. His research fingerprint shows dominant activity in Fiber Optics Engineering (100%), Fiber Optic Sensor Engineering (69%), and Glass Fiber Material Science (50%).

His recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate a clear focus on applying optical fiber sensor technology to solve critical challenges in radiotherapy dosimetry, with particular attention to FLASH radiotherapy, small-field radiation measurements, and real-time dose monitoring systems. The research trajectory shows increasingly sophisticated sensor designs capable of multi-parameter measurements with high precision for clinical applications.

• Institute of Measurement and Control Finkelstein Award for excellence in International Research (2024)
• University of Limerick President's Research Excellence Impact award (2023)
• University of Limerick Special Achievement in Research Award (2005)
• Fulbright Scholar (2008)
• Distinguished Lecturer for IEEE Sensors Council (2013-2015)
• Vice President for Technical Operations for the IEEE Sensors Council (2017-2019)
• Vice President of International Society of Sensing Technology (2025)
• Fellow of Institute of Physics, IET, and Royal Society of Chemistry
• Senior member IEEE

Professor Lewis actively supervises PhD students and has secured substantial research funding supporting his work. He has organized major international conferences including IEEE Sensors 2011, EWOFS 2016, IEEE World Forum on Internet of Things (2019), and Sensors and Applications Conference 2024. His leadership extends to editorial roles and professional society governance.

As Director of OFSRC, Professor Lewis leads a multidisciplinary team focused on advancing fiber optic sensing technologies with strong collaborations with medical institutions for cancer treatment applications and industrial partners. Current projects emphasize development of next-generation sensors for precision medicine, particularly in radiation oncology, contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health, industry innovation, and clean water.