The development of colorful cell phone displays, thin-film solar cells and high-efficiency optical components for telecommunications requires scientists and engineers to design new materials and fabrication methods. An essential prerequisite to the successful design of new materials is understanding their electronic energy levels.

Over the past 30 years, Brédas and his group have been devising theoretical approaches that have led to a revolution in materials design. A substantial theoretical component is now an essential centerpiece of any major research effort in the design of devices and materials. Without Brédas' insight and innovation, such developments would have been insufficient to guarantee success and impact.

Brédas is the winner of the 2013 David Adler Award in Materials Physics of the American Physical Society, the 2016 Award in the Chemistry of Materials of the American Chemical Society, the 2019 Alexander von Humboldt Research Award, the 2020 Materials Theory Award of the Materials Research Society and the 2021 Centenary Prize of the U.K. Royal Society of Chemistry. He has been elected as a member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science, the Royal Academy of Belgium and the European Academy of Sciences. According to Google Scholar, his h-index – an author-level metric that measures both the productivity and citation impact of research publications – is 156, with more than 116,000 citations. He is ranked No. 459 in the career list and No. 1 among UArizona faculty members.