Speakers

Dr. Sonia Ruiz Raga, ICN2

Invited talk: Understanding the degradation mechanisms of halide perovskite solar cells via advanced in-situ studies

Sonia Ruiz Raga holds a PhD in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology from Universitat Jaume I of Castellón (2013). She carried out two postdoc stays at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST, Japan) until 2017, and at the Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science (ACEx) at Monash University (Australia) until 2020. She was awarded the “laCaixa Junior Leader” 2020 fellowship, and joined the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2). She received the L'Oréal-UNESCO “FWIS” award in 2020 and the “To the Mothers of Science” award from BIST in 2024. She is currently a Tenured Scientist at CSIC at ICN2 where her main line of research focuses on the development of materials for renewable photovoltaic energy. In particular, she works on the synthesis of novel metal halide semiconductors, their implementation in single and tandem solar cells, photocatalysis, and photo-electrochemistry. A large part of her research aims to understand degradation mechanisms under operating conditions through in-situ studies, with the goal of improving the efficiency and stability of these devices. Since 2020, Dr. Raga has been the Principal Investigator of six projects, co-supervised two PhD theses, and has published 56 Q1 articles, five patents, and two book chapters.

Dr. Beatriz Martín-García, CIC nanoGUNE

Invited talk: Exploring Low-Dimensional Hybrid Metal-Halide Perovskites by Raman and Photoluminescence Spectroscopy: From Basics to Applications

Beatriz Martín-García is an Ikerbasque and Ramón y Cajal researcher at CIC nanoGUNE, leading a research line developing low-dimensional and anisotropic materials by chemical design and spectroscopy techniques. She investigates the relationship between crystal structure, composition, and properties by combining Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy among other techniques to select on-demand properties for their application in optoelectronic devices. She received her Ph.D. from the Faculty of Chemical Sciences (University of Salamanca, Spain). She then joined Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italy) under the Graphene Flagship project. She worked on the modulation of optoelectronic properties of different materials (nanocrystals, 2D materials, and hybrid metal-halide perovskites) by chemical and surface functionalization approaches for solar cells, photodetectors, and memories. She is the author of more than 100 peer-reviewed papers in international journals, including Nature Materials, Advanced Materials, Small, and Nano Letters. She has been also included in the 2025 Emerging Investigators list of the Journal of Materials Chemistry C (RSC - Royal Society of Chemistry).

Professor Patricia de la Presa, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Invited talk: Magnetic nanoparticles for hyperthermia cancer treatment: a review on the most recent advances

Patricia de la Presa is Full Professor of Condensed Matter Physics at the Complutense University of Madrid and Director of the Applied Magnetism and Magnetic Nanostructures Group, recognized as a Group of Excellence by the Spanish State Research Agency. She is also Academic Secretary of the Institute of Applied Magnetism (IMA-UCM), one of Spain’s leading institutes in advanced materials. She earned her PhD in Physics from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina (1997), and conducted postdoctoral research at the Universities of Goettingen and Bonn, Germany (1998–2004). Joining IMA-UCM in 2004 through the Ramón y Cajal program, she became Associate Professor in 2009 and Full Professor in 2020. Her internationally recognized research focuses on magnetic materials and nanostructures, particularly the calorimetric behavior of magnetic nanoparticles under radiofrequency fields for applications in magnetic hyperthermia, targeted drug delivery, catalysis, and sensing. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers (>2,400 citations, h-index 26) and frequently lectures at international conferences. Prof. de la Presa has led or participated in over 30 national and international research projects, including the COST Action RADIOMAG and the INDITEX–MIT project Plastic Wastes for Alternative Fuels. She has supervised 4 PhDs, 25 MSc theses, and mentored 28 international students, demonstrating strong leadership in multidisciplinary research, collaboration, and talent development.

Dr. Aliona Nicolenco, CIDETEC

Invited talk: Catalysts fabrication from lab to scale: A case study on electrodeposited PEM Water Electrolysis electrodes

Dr. Aliona Nicolenco is currently a Senior Researcher and Project Leader in the Coatings and Surface Treatments Unit at CIDETEC Surface Engineering, specializing in the electrodeposition of functional alloys and composites, as well as the scale-up of laboratory processes to pilot production lines. She earned her PhD in Physical Chemistry from Vilnius University (Lithuania) in 2018, and subsequently joined the GNM3 Group at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where she conducted four-year postdoctoral research. Throughout her career, she has been awarded two prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships. In recent years, her work has focused on developing advanced and sustainable coatings with tailored catalytic properties for hydrogen technologies, including the synthesis of non-noble metal catalysts and the design of active, durable surfaces for electrochemical applications.

Professor Maria Isabel Pividori, IBB

Invited talk: Integrating Biologically-Modified and Biomimetic Magnetic Particles into Biosensing Devices for Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases

María Isabel Pividori is Full Professor at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and group leader in the Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina (IBB). Her research focuses on the development of in vitro diagnostic tests, biosensors, and bioinstrumentation. Specifically, her work aims to improve biorecognition events, simplify biosensing procedures, integrate nanomaterials, and enhance analytical signals. She also leads research on the use of magnetic particles in magneto-actuated platforms. Her current scientific interest lies in the design of affordable and portable point-of-care technologies suitable for healthcare and food safety applications, particularly in low-resource settings. Prof. Pividori has supervised 14 completed PhDs, 4 ongoing PhDs, 33 MSc theses, and has hosted 25 international visiting students and postdoctoral secondments.

Aitor Villafranca Velasco, IO-CSIC

In the framework of BBT (Breaking Barriers Together) seminar series

Seminar: LGTBQIA+ diversity in STEM: Current situation and actions for equality

Did you know that one out of three trans scientists suffer harassment at their workplace? Or that only 14% of bisexual STEM professionals are out of the closet? Were you aware of how discrimination impacts scientific output? In this seminar we will look into the current situation of LGBTQIA+ professionals working in STEM, and discuss simple actions which can help creating safer and more inclusive spaces for everyone.

Aitor Villafranca Velasco is the current Director of the Institute of Optics at the Spanish National Research Council (IO-CSIC), where he conducts research in silicon integrated optics. He holds a degree in Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Zaragoza (2009) and a PhD in Physics from the Complutense University of Madrid (2013). He is also a founding partner of the technology-based company Alcyon Photonics and of the PRISMA association, through which he advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights in STEM. In 2024, he was awarded the National Research Award for Young Researchers in the category of Knowledge Transfer.

Dr. Juan F. Sierra, ICN2

Seminar: Ethics and Honesty in Science

Juan F. Sierra obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (2003) and a PhD in Condensed Matter Physics from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (2008). After a CNRS postdoctoral fellowship and a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship at CEA/Spintec (Grenoble) between 2009 and 2012, he joined ICN2. There, he held Beatriu de Pinós, Juan de la Cierva, and Ramón y Cajal fellowships before becoming a CSIC tenured scientist at ICN2 in 2023. His main research focuses on charge, thermal and spin-related phenomena in quantum materials, including graphene and topological insulator heterostructures.

Dr. Marta Colomer, MDPI

Academic Publishing Workshop: From Research to Publication

Dr. Marta Colomer obtained her biology degree and master’s degree in advanced microbiology from the University of Barcelona, Spain. She holds a Ph.D. in environmental microbiology and biotechnology from the same university, followed by two postdoctoral degrees earned at Texas Tech University, USA, and the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Centre, Spain, respectively. She joined MDPI in 2020, where she currently works as a Public Affairs Lead. She is responsible for managing MDPI’s public affairs and advocacy initiatives across Europe, building relationships with key stakeholders in the academic, media, and governmental sectors to support open access publishing.

Dr. Marcello Turconi, CERIC

CERIC-ERIC: a multi-technique, distributed Research Infrastructure for (bio)materials and nanotechnology research

Dr. Marcello Turconi, PhD in neuroscience and Master in Science Communication, is CERIC science communication officer. He collaborated with several research institutes (such as SISSA, University of Milan, Italian Institute of Technology) and associations to disseminate scientific results to distinct audiences - from children to journalists and policy makers - in different formats. He is author of the neuroscience book for children 'C come Cervello' ('B for brain', Nomos ed., 2021).

Dr. Sara Martínez de Salinas Uzquiza, ICN2

Dr. Sara Martínez de Salinas Uzquiza is a Senior Project Manager at the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2), supporting the Advanced Electronic Materials and Devices Group led by Prof. Jose A. Garrido. She manages EU and national research projects and has extensive experience in scientific coordination, funding management, and proposal preparation. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Oviedo and over 10 years of experience in research and research management.

Prof. Mariano Campoy-Quiles, ICMAB-CSIC

Prof. Mariano Campoy-Quiles leads a 12-15 people group at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) that has built substantial research efforts in two application areas, solar photovoltaic (light to electric) and thermoelectric (heat to electric) energy conversion. Physicist by training (University of Santiago de Compostela (2000)), he obtained a PhD in experimental physics from Imperial College London, UK (2005), a Japan Society for Promotion of Science postdoctoral fellowship (2007), a Ramon y Cajal research fellowship (2009), a permanent position of CSIC (2012), the Most Outstanding Young Researcher in Experimental Physics Award (from the Spanish Royal Society of Physics and Fundación BBVA) (2012), a European Research Council Consolidator grant (2014), two ERC PoC grants (2020 and 2022) and CSIC best mentor award in 2024. He is also co-inventor in eight patents (4 licensed), and has recently co-founded the spin-off company Molecular Gate S.L. From 2019 to 2022 he was the Coordinator of the Materials for Energy and Environment Subarea of the Agencia Estatal de Investigación. He is in the top 2% of scientific researchers worldwide according to the Stanford ranking. He was promoted to Research Professor in 2022.

Dr. Daniel Rueda García, NBL

Dr. Daniel Rueda García holds a degree in Chemistry from the UB, a Master's degree in Applied Materials Chemistry from the UB, a PhD in Nanoscience from the UB, a postdoc in the NEO-Energy group at ICN2, and is currently CTO at NBL.

He has valuable experience working in the NEO-Energy group for several years, which has allowed him to consolidate his fundamental knowledge of nanomaterials and electrical energy storage systems, especially hybrid nanomaterials for the design of electroactive nanofluids for flow cells. Based on the results of his work, a new line of research was established with the creation of Napptilus Battery Labs, where Dr. Daniel Rueda serves as the person ultimately responsible for the technical aspects of the project: research, development, innovation, technology scaling, technical market analysis.

Dr. Marta Colomer, MDPI

Dr. Marta Colomer obtained her biology degree and master’s degree in advanced microbiology from the University of Barcelona, Spain. She holds a Ph.D. in environmental microbiology and biotechnology from the same university, followed by two postdoctoral degrees earned at Texas Tech University, USA, and the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Centre, Spain, respectively. She joined MDPI in 2020, where she currently works as a Public Affairs Lead. She is responsible for managing MDPI’s public affairs and advocacy initiatives across Europe, building relationships with key stakeholders in the academic, media, and governmental sectors to support open access publishing.