Dr. Davis is an active research physicist in the areas of High Energy
Astrophysics and High Energy Density Laboratory Astrophysics (HEDLA) / High Energy Density Physics (HEDP) within the context of Fusion energy via the interaction of high power lasers with plasma (Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE)). He investigates how fusion energy is generated by very powerful objects in the universe (e.g., gamma ray bursts and supernova) and then studying the same fusion energy generation processes to scale in laser-plasma fusion energy laboratories located here on earth: actual astrophysics observations and theories are incorporated. Dr. Davis' interest in this area
(HEDP, HEDLA and Fusion Energy) began while serving as faculty guest researcher and consultant to the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, USA. For example, his work, performed in collaboration at the CELIA
laboratory, led to a partnership with the China - France SVOM satellite mission into space to study gamma-ray bursts: as a Ph. D candidate at the Catholic University of America (CUA), Dr. Davis performed the first measurement of cosmological time dilation (a general relativistic effect related to the expansion of the universe) for a sample of gamma-ray burst observed by the then orbiting Compton Gamma-ray
Observatory. The China - France SVOM satellite is one of China's first pure science missions and France's only high energy astrophysics satellite. Dr. Davis’ research collaboration at CELIA is the only group in the Aquitaine region so affiliated with the China-France SVOM mission. This proves the communities of laboratory astrophysics
and traditional astrophysics can work together to move physics forward. Dr. Davis’ research contributes to the development of clean, abundant, inexpensive source of nuclear fusion energy that does not rely on oil or coal. Additional applications are in directed energy physics (e.g., missile defense applications), laser acceleration of ions and electrons, astrophysics observations with theoretical development to explore space as well as medicine. Throughout his career, Dr. Davis has written award winning, successful proposals for contract, grant and fellowship money. His public outreach
contributions include serving as an instructor for NASA – SEMAA’s Star Lab (an inflatable planetarium for educating children about the universe: extremely popular with students; many have now gone on to become scientists, engineers, mathematicians and
high-tech entrepreneurs), recruiting faculty for St John's University (SJU) as well as recruiting students for a scholarship named after NASA Astronaut Dr. Ronald McNair - a physicist lost aboard Space Shuttle Challenger. Dr. Davis cherishes his work in the area
of public outreach as well as policy development for the USA State Department, USA Defense Department, the French Defense Ministry and the United Nations in the areas of directed energy research, fusion energy research with applications and space exploration.
When Dr. Davis graduated with a Ph. D degree in physics (1995) from the highly internationally acclaimed Catholic University of America Department of Physics, he was the only African American to earn a physics degree at the Ph. D level in the United States of America, and he was the first African American to obtain a Ph. D. degree
focusing on High Energy Astrophysics. Finally, Dr. Davis is the first member of the Davis family to earn a Ph. D. degree and he did it in physics.