Farah Comis in the Spotlight at Women in TechWorks: Engineering Intelligently

Dr Farah Comis, a graduate of the Connected Electronic and Photonic Systems Centre for Doctoral Training (CEPS CDT), was recently featured as a panellist at the inaugural Women in TechWorks: Engineering Intelligently conference, held at Arm's Cambridge headquarters on 17 June 2026.

Founded by Jillian Hughes, the sold-out event brought together women and allies from across the semiconductor and technology sectors to promote connection, mentorship, leadership, visibility, and inclusion. The conference highlighted the importance of creating pathways for women to develop and thrive across deep tech industries.

Farah joined the panel discussion, "From Strategy to Systems: Executive Leadership in an AI Era", where she shared insights from her journey from academic research to technology entrepreneurship. As CEO of Altro Photonics, she leads the development of advanced photonic integrated circuits that combine multiple optical functions onto a single chip, helping to drive innovation in next-generation photonic technologies.

About Farah Comis

Farah Comis is the CEO and co-founder of Altro Photonics, a company commercialising cutting-edge integrated photonics technology.

She completed her MRes at the University of Cambridge before undertaking a PhD at University College London (UCL) within the Centre for Doctoral Training in Connected Electronic and Photonic Systems (CEPS CDT), supervised by Dr Alfonso Ruocco and supported through EPSRC funding (Grant Reference: EP/S022139/1).

Her doctoral research focused on integrated photonic platforms for next-generation optical transmitters, with particular emphasis on high-index-contrast technologies including silicon nitride on insulator (SiNOI) and lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI). During her PhD, Farah developed state-of-the-art silicon and lithium-niobate modulators and quantum photonic devices, leading to first-author publications in Optics Express and Optics Letters, a patent application, and presentations at leading international conferences including IEEE Silicon Photonics and CLEO. She also delivered an invited talk at the CORNERSTONE User Day.

Building on this strong research foundation, Farah has successfully translated her technical expertise into commercial impact through Altro Photonics. The company is developing photonic integrated circuits that enable multiple optical functions to be integrated onto a single chip, supporting more efficient and scalable photonic systems.

Farah is currently part of the Future Worlds accelerator programme and previously participated in the 50:50 programme, supported by 50 Years VC, which helps founders commercialise breakthrough technologies.

Her career exemplifies how deep technical expertise can be transformed into real-world innovation and serves as an inspiring example of the growing impact of women leaders across the technology sector.

Find out more about Farah's work: https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/86141-farah-sessa-comis/teaching

Credits

Image of Farah Comis © UCL.

Original article published on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/ed665ygj