Dr. Pablo Botella (male): graduated in Pharmacy at the University of Valencia in 1988, received his PhD from the same university in 1993, and was awarded with honors in 1994. In 2003 he was selected as a Ramon y Cajal Researcher under the supervision of Prof. Avelino Corma at the ITQ, and in 2007 he was appointed as a CSIC Research Scientist at the ITQ.

He has been a Visiting Professor of the University of Vermont (VT, USA) in 2013. He coordinates the Nanomedicine Group at the ITQ, addressing medical nanoscale-structured material and devices for targeted delivery and controlled release of drugs and other biologically active agents. Special interest is dedicated to the development of organic-inorganic nanohybrid-based stimuli-responsive systems, as well as stable radioactive nanoparticles for enhancing diagnostic imaging. Also important in his research is the study of the immune reaction and protein corona formation after nanoparticle systemic administration, as well as its application to new cancer biomarker detection.

He has written more than 70 articles in high impact Scientific Journals and numerous presentations in congresses, with an “h-index” of 32 and is co-inventor of 10 patents, three of them related to a more environmentally benign industrial process currently used in a demonstration plant.

Avelino Corma (Moncofar, Castellón, Spain 1951), Professor at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ-CSIC-Polytechnical University of Valencia), has been carrying out research in heterogeneous catalysis in academia and in collaboration with companies for nearly 30 years. He has worked on fundamental aspects of acid-base and redox catalysis with the aim of understanding the nature of the active sites and reaction mechanisms. With these bases has developed catalysts that are being used commercially in several industrial processes.
He is an internationally recognized expert in solid acid and bifunctional catalysts for oil refining, petrochemistry and chemical process, especially in the synthesis and application of zeolite catalysts.

He has published more than 1400 research papers, and is inventor on more than 200 patents. Over 20 of those patents have been applied industrially in commercial processes ofcracking, desulfuration, isomerization, epoxidation, chemo selective oxidation of alcohols and chemoselective hidrogenations. Corma earned his BS in Chemistry at Valencia University, PhD at Madrid under direction of Prof. Antonio Cortes, and spent two years postdoc at Queen´s University.

AWARDS:

– Heinz Heinemann Award of IACS – The International Association of Catalysis Societies (2020)
– Academic of Honor, Real Academia Canaria de Ciencias (2019)
– Blaise Pascal Medal for Chemistry, European Academy of Sciences (2018)
– The People’s Republic of China Friendship Award (2017)
– Spiers Memorial 2016/Royal Society of Chemistry (2016)
– 48th W. N. Lacey Lectureship  Caltech (2015)
– The Jacobus van´t Hoff Lecture 2015  TU Delft Process Technology Institute (2015)
– Hoyt C. Hottel Lecture, MIT (2015)
– Prince of Asturias Award for Technical & Scientific Research (2014)
– Honour Medal to the Invention from the Fundación García Cabrerizo (Spain) (2012)
– Grande Medaille de l´Académie des sciences (France), (2011)
– Scientific Merit of Generalitat Valenciana (2011)
– Gold of Medal for Chemistry Research Career 2001-2010 (2010)
– Eni Award (2010)
– Royal Society of Chemistry Centenary Prize (2010)
– Rhodia Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Prize for Science and Industry (2010)
– Bourdart Award in Advanced Catalysis (2009)
– A. V. Humboldt – J. C. Mutis Research Award (2009)
– Gabor A. Somorjai Award for Creative Research in Catalysis (2008)
– Karl-Ziegler-Lectureship Max Planck Society (2007)
– National Award on Science and Technology of México (2006)
– Alwin Mittasch of Dechema (2006)
– Paul Sabatier of the French Society of Chemistry (2006)
– Iberoamerican Fedaration of Catalysis Societies (FISOCAT) (2006)
– Cross Canada Lecture Award (2006)
– Gold of Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry os Spain (2005)
– Breck Award of the International Zeolite Association (IZA) (2004)
– Medal of Honor of the García Cabrerizo Foundation (2004)
– The Order of Merit Civil of Spain (2002)
– Eugene J. Houdry Award in Applied Catalysis (2002)
– F. Gault European Award on “Catalysis” (2001)
– Ipatieff Actr at Nortwestern University (2000-2001)
– King Jaime I Award on “New Technologies” (Spain) (2000)
– Iberdrola Science and Technology (Spain) (1998)
– F. Ciapetta award of the North American Catalyst Society (1998)
– CATSA in recognition of research excellence “Dinstinguished Visitor Award of the Catalysis Society of South Africa” (1998)
– Burdiñola Award (Spain) (1997)
– Profesores Visitantes de Iberdrola (Spain) (1996)
– Dupont Award on “Materials Science” (Spain) (1995)
– National Award Leonardo Torres Quevedo (Spain) (1995)
– Dupont Award (Canada)

DOCTOR HONORIS CAUSA

– Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Perú (2019)
– University Paul Sabatier (2019)
– University of Córdoba (2018)
– University of Cantabria (2016)
– University of Jaen (2015)
– University of Bucharest (2014)
– University Delft University of Technology: TU Delft (2013)
– University of Ottawa (2012)
– Universidad de Alicante (2010)
– Universität Bochum (2010)
– Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Ruhr-University Bochum (2010)
– Universidad de Valencia (2009)
– Universidad Jaime I (2008)
– Technische Universität München (2008)
– Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED) (2008)
– Utrecht University (2006)

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES AND ACTIVITIES

– PRESIDENT Comité Estratégico de Innovación (CEI) of the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI) (2018)  PRESIDENT Comité Científico de la Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) (2017)
– FOREIGN MEMBER of French Academy of Sciences (2016)
– Member of European Academy of Sciences (2018)
– PRESIDENT of the International Association of Catalysis Societies (2012)
– FOREIGN Member of the Royal Society (2012)
– Member of President´s International Advisory Council of King Abdullah University of Science KAUST (2011)
– Member of Royal Academy of Exact Sciences, Physics and Natural of Spain (2011)
– PRESIDENT of the European Association of Catalysis Societies. (2009-2013)
– Member of National Academy of Engineering NAE (USA) (2007)
– Member of Academia Europea, Chemical Science Section (1996)
– Member of Royal Academy of Engineering of Spain (1994)

MEMBER OF EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

– Angewandte Chemie (2014 – Currently)
– ChemSusChem (2012 – Currently)
– Green Chemistry (2010- Currently)
– Catalysis Letters (2012-Currently)
– ChemCatChem (2012- Currently)
– Topics in Catalysis (2010- Currently)
– Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (1997- Currently)
– Journal of Catalysis (1999- Currently)
– Dalton Transaction (2000-2010)-
– Journal of Catalysis (1999- Currently)
– Catalysis Sciences, Technology, and Innovation (1997-1998)
– Chemical Communications (1997-2000)
– Catalysis Technology (1996-Currently)
– Japanese Catalysis Surveys (1996 – Currently)
– J. Molecular Catalysis (1995 – Currently)
– Catalysis Letters (1994- Currently)
– Catalysis Review S.C. and Eng. (1992- Currently)
– Microporous and Mesoporous Materials (1991- Currently)
– Applied Catálisis (1988-1992)

Miguel Angel González Cardenete studied Chemistry at the University of Valencia, Spain, where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in 1995, a Master’s Degree (1997, Excellent) and finally a Doctorate in Chemistry (2001, Excellent Cum laude, PhD Extraordinary award). In his Doctorate under the supervision of Professors Manuel Arnó Giribet and Ramón José Zaragozá Cardells, he developed the synthesis of a variety of skeletons of terpenoid natural products and started collaborations to study their biological properties. Also, he joined the group of Prof. Gerald Pattenden at the University of Nottingham (UK) to study radical cascade reactions for obtaining polycyclic systems. At the end of the Doctorate, he went back to the Pattenden’s group as Postdoctoral researcher and worked on a project for the synthesis of one of the most potent antitumor agents known to date, the Phorboxazole A. Then, he made a Postdoctoral stay with a Fulbright fellowship in the group of Prof. Emmanuel A. Theodorakis at the University of California, San Diego (USA).

After three years of postdoctoral research abroad, he returned to Spain to work as “Ramón y Cajal” researcher at the University of Valencia, where he worked in two research lines, development of synthetic methodology and medicinal chemistry from natural compounds. There, he worked as Assistant Professor and senior researcher. In 2015, he got a position as tenured scientist at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and moved to the Institute of Chemical Technology.

Main lines of research:

1. Sustainable synthesis of Natural Products, derivatives and analogues of pharmacological interest.
2. Medicinal Chemistry

His research has led to more than 60 publications and conference communications and one patent.

His publication list as well as his h-index (h= 22, July 2023) can be seen in the following link: Publications in Scopus. (Link)

 

Relevant publications:

• Miguel A. González-Cardenete*, Natalia González-Zapata, Lucinda Boyd and Fatima Rivas “Discovery of novel bioactive tanshinones and carnosol analogues against breast cancer”, Cancers 2023, 15, 1318. Journal quartile (JCR2021) and position: Q1, 60/240. Category: ONCOLOGY; DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041318
• Miguel A. González-Cardenete*, Damir Hamulic, Francisco J. Miquel-Leal, Natalia Gonzalez-Zapata,Orlando J. Jimenez-Jarava, Yaneth M. Brand, Laura C. Restrepo-Mendez, Marlen Martinez-Gutierrez, Liliana A. Betancur-Galvis, and Maria L. Marin “Antiviral Profiling of C‑18- or C‑19-Functionalized Semisynthetic Abietane Diterpenoids”, Journal of Natural Products 2022, 85, 2044-2051. Journal quartile (JCR2021) and position: Q1, 38/238. Category: PLANT SCIENCES; DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.2c00464
• Miguel A. González-Cardenete*, Fatima Rivas, Rachel Bassett, Marco Stadler, Steffen Hering, José M. Padrón, Ramón J. Zaragozá, M. Auxiliadora Dea-Ayuela*, Biological Profiling of Semisynthetic C19‐Functionalized Ferruginol and Sugiol Analogues, Antibiotics 2021, 10, 184. Journal quartile and position: Q1, 68/279. Category: PHARMACOLOGY; DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10020184
• Ramón J. Zaragozá*, Miguel A. González-Cardenete*, Synthesis of Bodinieric acids, both C-18 and C-19-Funtionalized Abietane Diterpenoids: DFT study of the key aldol reaction”, RSC Advances 2020, 10, 15015-15022. Journal quartile (JCR) and position: Q2, 81/179. Category: CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY; DOI: 1039/d0ra02711a
• Damir Hamulić, Marco Stadler, Steffen Hering, José M. Padrón, Rachel Bassett, Fatima Rivas, Marco A. Loza-Mejía, M. Auxiliadora Dea-Ayuela, Miguel A. González-Cardenete*, “Synthesis and Biological studies of (+)-liquiditerpenoic acid A (abietopinoic acid) and representative analogs: SAR studies”, Journal of Natural Products 2019, 82, 823-831. Journal quartile and position: Q1, 32/234. Category: PLANT SCIENCES; DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.8b00884
• A. Dea-Ayuela, P. Bilbao-Ramos, F. Bolás-Fernández and Miguel A. González-Cardenete*, “Synthesis and Antileishmanial activity of C7- and C12-functionalized dehydroabietylamine derivatives”, European Journal Medicinal Chemistry 2016, 121, 445-450. Journal quartile and position: Q1, 4/60 (Decile 1). Category: CHEMISTRY, MEDICINAL; DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.06.004
• Roa-Linares, Y. Brand, L. Agudelo, V. Tangarife, L. Betancur-Galvis, J. C. Gallego and Miguel A. González*, “Anti-Herpetic and Anti-Dengue Activity of (+)-Ferruginol analogues Synthesized from (+)-Dehydroabietylamine”, European Journal Medicinal Chemistry 2016, 108, 79-88. Journal quartile and position: Q1, 4/60 (Decile 1). Category: CHEMISTRY, MEDICINAL; DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2015.11.009
• Miguel A. González*, “Aromatic Abietane Diterpenoids: Their Biological Activity and Synthesis”, Natural Product Reports 2015, 32, 684-704. Journal quartile and position: Q1, 1/59 (Decile 1). Category: CHEMISTRY, MEDICINAL; DOI: 10.1039/c4np00110a
• Miguel A. González*, “Synthetic Derivatives of Aromatic Abietane Diterpenoids and Their Biological Activities”, European Journal Medicinal Chemistry 2014, 87, 834-842. Journal quartile and position: Q1, 11/59. Category: CHEMISTRY, MEDICINAL; DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2014.10.023
• Miguel A. González*, Ramón J. Zaragozá, “Synthesis of the Antiviral Abietane Diterpenoid (+)-Jiadifenoic acid C from Callitrisic acid (4-epidehydroabietic acid) isolated from Sandarac Resin”, Journal Natural Products 2014, 77, 2114-2117. Journal quartile and position: Q1, 7/59. Category: CHEMISTRY, MEDICINAL; DOI: 10.1021/np500569y
• Miguel A. González*, D. Perez-Guaita, J. Correa-Royero, B. Zapata, L. Agudelo, A. Mesa-Arango, L. Betancur-Galvis, “Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Dehydroabietic acid derivatives”, European Journal Medicinal Chemistry 2010, 45, 811-816. Journal quartile and position: Q1, 11/54. Category: CHEMISTRY, MEDICINAL; DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2009.10.010

 

Virginie Lhiaubet-Vallet graduated from the University Paul Sabatier (Toulouse, France); in 2001, she defended her Doctoral Thesis untitled “Mechanisms of DNA damage photosensitized by drugs derived from aromatic ketones” supervised by Nicole Paillous and Nadia Chouini-Lalanne. In 2001, she was granted with an Individual Marie Curie Fellowship to join Prof. M. A. Miranda’s group at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ) as a postdoctoral researcher. In 2008, she obtained a ‘‘Ramón y Cajal’’ contract; and since 2016, she is a Tenured Scientist of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

Her main research interests are:

• Interaction between light and biomolecules (particularly DNA) to obtain information on the molecular processes responsible for photosensitivity and to design new photoprotection tools
• Study of DNA photodamage formation and repair (such as thymine dimers)
• Design of photocages based on prodrug/profilter systems to allow a controlled photorelease of photosensitizing drugs together with a solar filter acting as protecting shield

 

ORCID number: 0000-0002-8205-8892

The list of its scientific publications, as well as its index h, can be seen in this link

 

Her scientific career has been recognized internationally in 2007 by the “Young Investigator Award of the European Society for Photobiology”, an outstanding award given biennially by the society to a scientist under 35 years old. In addition, Dr. Lhiaubet has given 2 plenary lectures, 15 invited lectures and 14 oral communications. She has been PI of 7 projects, including national and international projects. She has been the supervisor of 4 theses and is currently supervising 2 others. She has also tutored 6 postdoctoral students and 9 short-stays of PhD or graduated students.

In addition, she is the author of 66 publications, being corresponding author of 19 of them. Since her doctoral thesis, her research has been centered on the study of DNA damage and photochemistry of drugs and biomolecules. Thus, she participated in central contributions such as (i) the reductive photocycloreversion of azetidines as a model of DNA repair by (6-4) photolyase (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2016, Chem. Eur. J. 2018) (ii) the discovery of the role of DNA lesions as intrinsic photosensitizer (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013, ACS Chem. Biol. 2018), (iii) the study of np* higher excited states of thymine (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013), (iv) establishing the energy of the excited triplet state of thymine in DNA (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006), (v) demonstrating the stereoselective quenching of ketoprofen triplet excited state in the presence of thymine (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005), (vi) the use of triplet excited states as probes for protein binding sites (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004).

 

Most successful publications in the last 10 years:

1. A. B. Fraga-Timiraos, A. Francés-Monerris, G. M. Rodríguez-Muñiz, M. Navarrete-Miguel, M. A. Miranda, D. Roca-Sanjuan, V. Lhiaubet-Vallet “Experimental and theoretical study on the cycloreversion of a nucleobase-derived azetidine by photoinduced electron transfer” Chem. Eur. J. in press, doi: 10.1002/chem.201803298
2. M.-D. Li, Z. Yan, R. Zhu, D. Lee Phillips, I. Aparici-Espert, V. Lhiaubet-Vallet, M. A. Miranda “Enhanced drug photosafety by interchromophoric interaction due to intramolecular charge separation” Chem. Eur. J. (2018) 24, 6654.
3. I. Aparici-Espert, G. Garcia-Lainez, I. Andreu, M. A. Miranda, V. Lhiaubet-Vallet “Oxidatively generated lesions as internal photosensitizers for pyrimidine dimerization in DNA” ACS Chem. Biol. (2018), 13, 542.
4. I. Aparici-Espert, M. C. Cuquerella, C. Paris, V. Lhiaubet-Vallet, M. A. Miranda “Photocages for protection and controlled release of bioactive compounds” Chem. Commun., (2016), 52, 14215.
5. A. B. Fraga-Timiraos, V. Lhiaubet-Vallet, M. A. Miranda “Repair of a dimeric azetidine related to thymine–cytosine (6-4) photoproduct by electron transfer photoreduction” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2016) 55, 6037.
6. I. Aparici-Espert, A. Francés-Monerris, G. M. Rodríguez-Muñiz, D. Roca-Sanjuán, V. Lhiaubet-Vallet, Miguel A. Miranda “A combined experimental and theoretical approach to the photogeneration of 5,6-dihydropyrimidin-5-yl radicals in non aqueous media” J. Org. Chem. (2016), 81, 4031.
7. V. Vendrell-Criado, G. Rodríguez-Muñiz, M. C. Cuquerella, V. Lhiaubet-Vallet, M. A. Miranda* “Photosensitization of DNA by 5-methyl-2-pyrimidone deoxyribonucleoside: (6-4) photoproduct as a possible Trojan horse” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2013) 52, 6476.
8. V. Vendrell-Criado, G. Rodríguez-Muñiz, M. Yamaji, V. Lhiaubet-Vallet, M. C. Cuquerella, M. A. Miranda “Two-photon chemistry from upper triplet states of thymine” J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2013) 135, 16714.
9. G. Rodriguez-Muñiz, M. L. Marin, V. Lhiaubet-Vallet, M. A. Miranda “Reactivity of nucleosides with hydroxyl radical in non-aqueous medium” Chem. Eur. J. (2012) 18, 8024.
10. M. C. Cuquerella, V. Lhiaubet-Vallet, J. Cadet, M. A. Miranda “Benzophenone photosensitized DNA damage” Acc. Chem. Res. (2012) 45, 1558.

 

 

 

Dr. Gonzalo Prieto graduated in Chemical Engineering at the University of Oviedo (Spain) and obtained his PhD degree in 2010 at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ in Valencia, Spain) under the guidance of Prof. Martinez. From 2010-2013 he conducted postdoctoral research in the de Jong(h) group at the Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University (The Netherlands), as part of the Center for Atomic-Level Catalyst Design research consortium of the US Department of Energy. After a short stay as visiting researcher in the Spivey group at Louisiana State University (USA), in fall 2013, he received an Alexander von Humboldt personal grant and joined the department of Heterogeneous Catalysis led by Prof. Schüth, at the Max Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung (MPI-KOFO, Mülheim, Germany) were he later obtained a Group Leader position. In 2017 he joined the ITQ as a Senior Tenured Researcher of the Spanish Research Council (equivalent to Assoc. Prof.).

His research activities encompass aspects of material synthesis, nanotechnology, tomographic imaging methods and reactivity assessment methods, jointly focused on the design and development of solid catalyst materials and processes for the conversion of unconventional carbon feedstocks into fuels and platform chemicals. Gonzalo has authored around 40 scientific articles and book chapters, with an average impact factor >10 (Thomson Reuters, January 2018), alongside 3 patents (2 of them transferred to industry), and has contributed >50 papers to scientific conferences/workshops and delivered ~20 invited lectures. He has participated in 15 research projects, being a Principal Investigator in 50% of them, and has supervised/currently supervises 5 PhD theses. Awards: DuPont Chemical Engineering Award (2004), National MSc Chemical Engineering Award (2005), the National PhD Thesis Award by the Spanish Catalysis Society (2010), Innovation Proposal Award by the CALCD-EFRC of the US Department of Energy (2012), Honorary Entry (top 3) at the ExxonMobil Chemical European Science and Engineering Award (2017).

Google scholar profile
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=BYMRorUAAAAJ&hl=en

E-mail: prieto@itq.upv.es