Professor Jas Pal Badyal FRS

Jas Pal Badyal was awarded BA (1985) and PhD (1988) degrees from Cambridge University; where he subsequently held a King’s College Fellowship and the Oppenheimer Fellowship.  In 1989 he moved to Durham University to take up a lectureship and was promoted to Full Professor in 1996.   


He is internationally recognized for his pioneering research on the functionalization of solid surfaces and deposition of functional nanolayers.  Jas Pal has invented a wide range of novel surfaces for technological and societal applications. These have been underpinned by the investigation of fundamental mechanisms and scale-up.  Examples include: antibacterial, fog harvesting, catalysis, non-fouling, optochiral switches, filtration, biochips, super-repellency, and nano-actuation.   

Since 2023, Jas Pal has been the Chief Scientific Adviser for the Welsh Government.

Professional position

  • University Professor, Department of Chemistry, Durham University

Subject groups

  • Chemistry

    Chemistry, applied, Chemistry, materials, Chemistry, physical

  • Engineering and Materials Science

    Materials science (incl materials engineering)

Professor Jas Pal Badyal FRS
Elected 2016
Committees Participated Role
Education Committee January 2025 - December 2027 Member
Committee Advising Council on Applied & Innovation Candidates October 2024 - September 2027 Chair
Committee Advising Council on Applied & Innovation Candidates November 2023 - September 2024 Member
Physical Sciences Awards Committee October 2023 - September 2026 Member
Evaluation Panel January 2023 - December 2025 Member
Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Sr. R'search F'ship Panel November 2022 - October 2025 Member
Science, Industry and Translation Committee January 2019 - December 2021 Member
Industry Fellowships Joint Panel January 2006 - December 2008 Member