Research at the H.H.Wills Physics Laboratory is divided into six areas ranging from Astrophysics, looking at the biggest structures in our Universe, through Correlated Electron Systems, Micro- and Nanostructural Materials, Nanophysics and Soft Matter, Theoretical Physics to research into the smallest constituents of matter in High Energy Particle Physics.

The Particle Physics group at Bristol is involved in the construction of the CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid) and LHCb detectors for the next big acelerator at CERN, the Large Hadron Collider, LHC, which is due to turn on in 2007. It is also part of the LCFI and EUDET collaborations working towards the International Linear Collider, ILC.

Teaching is a central part of the department's life and it offers both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in physics.