The Specialized Group in Organic Chemistry (GEQOR) of the Royal Spanish Society of Chemistry (RSEQ) has awarded Professor Martín Fañanás Mastral the José Barluenga Medal 2025, in recognition of research excellence in Organic Chemistry. Alongside Fañanás, who is an Oportunius Research Professor and current Deputy Director of CiQUS, Carlos Valdés Gómez (Universidad de Oviedo) received the Fèlix Serratosa Medal, and José Alemán Lara (Universidad Autónoma Madrid) the Ignacio Ribas Medal.
Martín Fañanás Mastral earned his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Oviedo in 2007 under the supervision of Professors J. Barluenga and F. Aznar. In 2009, he joined Professor Ben L. Feringa’s group at the University of Groningen (Netherlands) as a postdoctoral researcher. In 2014, he joined the Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) as a Ramón y Cajal researcher, became Associate Lecturer in 2020 and Associate Professor in 2021, and currently holds the position of Oportunius Research Professor.
Professor Fañanás has previously received the Thieme Chemistry Journal Award (2015), the Young Researchers Award from the RSEQ (2016), and the Lilly Young Researchers Award (2018). In 2019, he was awarded a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). His research focuses on the development of new methodologies catalyzed by transition metal complexes for sustainable and atom-efficient chemical transformations, including enantioselective C–C bond formation and the activation and functionalization of hydrocarbons.
Fañanás has expressed his particular satisfaction that the award is named after his PhD advisor. The GEQOR medals are awarded annually to recognize the trajectory and scientific contributions of researchers working in Spanish institutions, across the three major stages of a scientific career: consolidation, maturity, and international recognition. In this context, the José Barluenga Medal honors researchers who, after an initial period of independent research, have demonstrated a significant qualitative leap in scientific excellence, with at least fifteen years having passed since their doctoral defense.
This award reinforces CiQUS’ prominent role in Organic Chemistry at the national level. The center holds the CIGUS distinction awarded by the Xunta de Galicia, which certifies the quality and impact of its research, and receives financial support from the European Union through the Galicia FEDER 2021–2027 Program.
The Group of Specialized Organic Chemistry (GEQOR) of the RSEQ has awarded Martín Fañanás the José Barluenga Medal 2025, in recognition of his outstanding scientific career in the field of Organic Chemistry