The ICREAs

ICREA Research Professors form a vibrant community of scientists and researchers in all areas of knowledge that contribute to the advancement of humankind by exploring, interpreting and questioning. Have a look and learn about their amazing discoveries and findings here:

Gernjak, Wolfgang

Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua (ICRA)

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Gernjak, Wolfgang
Research Professor at
Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua (ICRA)
Engineering Sciences
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Research interests

I strife to to realize a vision for smart and water sensitive cities and societies by innovating the ways we treat reclaimed and drinking water. My research focuses on technology innovation. Specifically, I research novel advanced oxidation and reduction as well as membrane filtration. PhD projects I currently supervise e.g. investigate vacuum UV driven water treatment, membrane distillation, catalytic ozonation, and plasma treatment. My research on water treatment technology is typically strongly connected to controlling water quality hazards to end-users, including trace organic contaminants, disinfection byproducts, and also pathogens. I also continue to expand my research in aspects of integrated water management and industrial water treatment, for example in the projects INVEST, SUGGEREIX and iWAYS. Here, I combine my broad expert knowledge on technology and water quality to find tailored solutions working in multidisciplinary teams to solve real world problems.

Key words
water management, membrane technology, advanced oxidation, human health protection

ORCID
: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3317-7710

RESEARCHER ID
: D 3252 2018
Gieles, Mark

Universitat de Barcelona (UB)

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Gieles, Mark
Research Professor at
Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
Experimental Sciences & Mathematics
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Research interests

Most of my research focusses on trying to understand the formation and dynamical evolution of star clusters to shed light on the stellar initial mass function, black holes, gravitational waves, the globular cluster multiple population problem and the dark matter distribution in galaxies. The Milky Way contains approximately 150 globular clusters, for which we have exquisite observations. To interpret these, I use both star-by-star N-body simulations, fast approximate models for cluster evolution and dynamical mass models. I developed a new family of mass models for star clusters (LIMEPY) to search for stellar-mass black holes in star clusters and to probe dark matter in the Milky Way using data from the ESA-Gaia satellite and related surveys. In 2019, I joined the Virgo Collaboration and I make predictions for binary black hole mergers that formed dynamically in star clusters.

Key words
Stars and stellar systems; gravitational astronomy; formation and evolution of galaxies; globular clusters; black holes; numerical methods; gravitational waves; dark matter; ESA-Gaia

ORCID
: 0000-0002-9716-1868

RESEARCHER ID
: AAP-6403-2020
Gomis, Roger

Institut de Recerca Biomèdica (IRB Barcelona)

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Gomis, Roger
Research Professor at
Institut de Recerca Biomèdica (IRB Barcelona)
Life & Medical Sciences
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Research interests

Although metastasis is the leading cause of cancer death, we are still ill-prepared to fight it. Chemotherapy targets high-proliferating rather than the low-proliferating metastatic cells—allowing these to spread from the primary tumor to distant sites, where they resist conventional treatments, proliferate, and cause vital organ failure. We and others have helped to simplify our understanding of metastasis as an orderly sequence of basic steps, which allows us to rationalize the biological properties required for metastatic disease. We know that cancer cells must orchestrate diverse cellular functions to overcome the difficulties of transiting into the metastatic cascade; these functions are highly dependent on the interactions between the metastatic cell, the tumor, and host stroma. We now need a better understanding of steps of the kinetics and mechanisms that regulate tissue-specific metastasis progression, as a prerequisite for developing effective therapies in the future.

Key words
Metastasis, Cancer, Cell Cycle, TGFbeta

ORCID
: 0000-0001-6473-2858
Goñi, Alejandro R.

Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (CSIC - ICMAB)

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Goñi, Alejandro R.
Research Professor at
Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (CSIC - ICMAB)
Engineering Sciences
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Research interests

I am an experimental physicist with broad interests and experience in solid-state physics, optical spectroscopy (Raman scattering, photoluminescence, etc.), nanoscience and technology, energy materials, physics of low-dimensional materials (superlattices, quantum wires and dots), highly correlated electron systems, and high-pressure techniques. Essentially, I use light as a probe of the physical properties of all kinds of molecular materials and organic and/or inorganic nanomaterials, looking for new behaviors or phenomena that arise as a direct consequence of the reduced dimensionality and/or size of the material system under study. Although I dedicate myself to basic research, I always have a clear application in mind, such as improving the performance of optoelectronic devices, enhancing thermoelectric and/or photovoltaic properties, boosting solar energy conversion efficiency, develop ultra-sensitive spectroscopic techniques, etc. I currently lead group activities on high pressure physics, hybrid metal-halide perovskites, plasmon-assisted hot-electron emitters and the development of a spectrum-on-demand light source.

Key words
solid-state physics, optical spectroscopy, nanosciences & nanotechnology, high-pressure physics

ORCID
: 0000-0002-1193-3063

RESEARCHER ID
: M-2239-2014
González Ballester, Miguel A.

Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)

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González Ballester, Miguel A.
Research Professor at
Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
Engineering Sciences
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Research interests

My research focus is on computerised medical image analysis and computer-assisted surgery, including: image processing and computer vision, image-based diagnosis through machine learning, deep learning, medical imaging physics, computational modelling and simulation of virtual organs and surgical interventions, navigation in computer-assisted surgery, surgical devices and implants, and applied clinical research. In addition to basic research with solid mathematical foundations (notably my work on statistical biomechanical models), all my projects have a marked translational character, focusing on concrete clinical and industrial applications.

Key words
Medical imaging, computer vision, computer-assisted surgery, biomechanics, technology transfer

ORCID
: 0000-0002-9227-6826
González García, Maria Concepción

Universitat de Barcelona (UB)

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González García, Maria Concepción
Research Professor at
Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
Experimental Sciences & Mathematics
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Research interests

I am a theoretical particle physicist. I study the fundamental laws that govern the behaviour of the smallest components of Nature: the elementary particles. I do it by comparing the predictions from different theories with measurements performed at accelerators, where high energy beams of matter are made to collide, as well as in experiments which detect the elementary particles arriving to us from outer space, and which were produced in the burning of the stars or during the reactions occurring in the early Universe. The ultimate goal is two-fold: understand the physical laws of the microcosms as well as how they determine the Universe we live in.

Key words
Theoretical Particle Physics, Astroparticle Physics