The Governing Committee of the Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) has agreed the appointment of six new Principal Investigators (PIs) following the conclusion of the external evaluation process conducted by the Scientific Advisory Committee. The selected researchers will join the core scientific team at CiQUS, further strengthening the centre's research capabilities. The new PIs are Ignacio Insua, Manuel Nappi, Beatriz Orosa, Ester Polo, Rafael Ramos, and María Tomás.
The term Principal Investigator (PI) refers to leaders or co-leaders of research groups and represents a cornerstone for ensuring the center’s scientific excellence and competitiveness. Once appointed, PIs undergo rigorous and continuous evaluation of their scientific activities. Achieving PI status requires a solid research track record, including high-impact publications in CiQUS’s strategic areas, success in securing competitive research projects, and demonstrated leadership skills.
The new CiQUS PIs, all of whom hold prestigious Ramón y Cajal fellowships, have been promoted predominantly from the internal category of Junior Scientist - a designation for early-career researchers at the centre who are embarking on independent scientific careers. This achievement highlights both the growing trajectory of young researchers at CiQUS and the center’s dedication to advancing the scientific careers of women, who account for 50% of the new PIs.
From left to right: María Tomás, Ester Polo, Beatriz Orosa, Manuel Nappi, Rafael Ramos, Ignacio Insua.
Dr. María Tomás
Dr. Tomás obtained her PhD at the University of Oviedo and completed her postdoctoral training under the supervision of Prof. Thomas Carell at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) before joining CiQUS in 2015. Her research focuses on designing new bioorthogonal processes and using light as an input to control these transformations.
Dr. Ester Polo
After completing her PhD at the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon and undertaking postdoctoral training at the Center for BioNano Interactions (CBNI) at University College Dublin, Dr. Polo joined CiQUS in 2017. She currently works on developing biomimetic nanovectors for biomedical applications.
Dr. Beatriz Orosa
Dr. Orosa completed her PhD in Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Barcelona. Following postdoctoral appointments at Durham University and later at the University of Edinburgh, she joined CiQUS in 2020 to conduct research in synthetic biology, focusing on the development of tools for precise control of protein degradation.
Dr. Manuel Nappi
After earning his PhD at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Dr. Nappi joined Prof. Matthew Gaunt’s group as a researcher at the University of Cambridge. He joined CiQUS at the end of 2020, where his work focuses on discovering photochemical reactions for DNA-encoded libraries, as well as the valorization of greenhouse gases and organic feedstock.
Dr. Ignacio Insua
Dr. Insua obtained his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Birmingham, followed by a first postdoctoral position at the University of Melbourne and subsequent postdoctoral training at CiQUS in the field of peptide nanomaterials for biomedical applications. Recently, he was awarded a prestigious ERC Starting Grant to lead a project aimed at fighting bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
Dr. Rafael Ramos
Dr. Ramos earned his PhD in Physics from Trinity College Dublin. After working at the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragon and collaborating with Prof. Eiji Saitoh at the University of Tokyo, he joined CiQUS in 2020. His multidisciplinary research focuses on advancing thermoelectric conversion technologies and thermal management systems.