Welcome!

What can you do here?

Maybe you’ll get the guidance you need  🙂

I hope this site can help you with information, advice as well as support and inspiration, tips and tricks to overcoming unforeseen challenges and realizing your ambitions.

For whom? Anyone interested in research! students and curious about science, researchers and entrepreneurs looking to explore new markets.

I am a versatile environmentalist dedicated to developing solutions that reduce pollution and waste. I have mainly worked in 3 research groups from different countries and correlated fields, to bring together complementary skills, knowledge and resources. First, in the Dept of Geology & Geochemistry in Spain (UAM), I studied the diffusion of leachate pollutants from waste through geological materials and spent 9 months on secondments abroad (International PhD, 2012: Excellent Cum Laude). There, I established for the first time the most and least desirable characteristics for geomaterials to be efficient natural barriers that prevent the release of pollutants into the environment (a Spanish sexennium for excellent research 2008-2013). I also got a Certificate of Expert in Higher Education (completion of an Educational change project and >250h of teacher training) and a Spanish quinquennium for full-time university teaching 2009-2013. Next, in the Dept of Chemistry in Belgium (KUL 2014-2018), I studied the recovery of critical metals from waste, using environmentally friendly extraction and leaching methods. Among other contributions, I developed an original process to recover rare earth elements with green solvents (non-volatile, non-flammable and non-static electricity accumulating) without generating nitrate-polluting leachates or consuming acids and alkalis (only water and a saline solution). There, I participated in 7 research projects (4M€ internally, 22M€ consortium): including 1 research contract with Shell Global and 4 European collaborative projects (8-23 beneficiaries each) in which I led 4 work packages (14 JCR articles). Next, in the Dept of Civil & Structural Engineering in the UK (TUOS 2018-2020), I studied landfill barriers made of mixtures of rejected fine aggregates and natural clays using high reality experimental models. I moved there as a Marie S. Curie postdoc where I developed recycled barriers with low risk of cracks and low permeability compatible with polluting and rainwater discharges for a timeframe never studied before equivalent to 100 years (a JCR article, 1 Springer Nature book chapter by invitation, 1 Results in brief translated into 6 languages (Tipik/Intrasoft International)). Overall, I am an independent researcher with national accreditation as a Full Professor (Profesora Titular 2023) and as a Distinguished Researcher i3 (2019) in the area of Environmental science & technology. This is the highest award conferred to Spanish researchers with outstanding contributions and independence (equivalent to an Established Researcher by the European Commission). Most of my publications (68%) and all my projects as PI have been conducted independently of my PhD and postdoctoral supervisors from Spain, Belgium, and the UK. Since 2018, I have demonstrated leadership by: (1) coordinating a collaboration among 3 research groups at the Univ. of Sheffield and the Univ. of Córdoba —Geotechnical, Groundwater Protection & Restoration, and Construction Engineering groups— who had not worked together previously; (2) earning “The Researcher As Manager” endorsement from ILM, a UK benchmark for leadership and management training; and (3) securing two Marie S. Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships in the field of Environmental & Geosciences (0.36 M€, 96% score, 12% success rate): first as a postdoctoral fellow (2016 call) and later as the supervisor of a postdoctoral fellow (2021 call). Other of my activities include journal editor since 2019 (Associate Editor of Heliyon Earth Science by Elsevier, Topic Editor of Minerals by MDPI and Review Editor of Building Environment by Frontiers); public engagement speaker (2 x year), organizer of international congresses (1 in 2020 and 1 ongoing), and mentor of early-stage and postdoctoral researchers (4 since 2018). In addition to the quality, international impact, and independence of my multidisciplinary research outlined above, I have successfully supervised 3 PhD theses (2 by female candidates) completed in 2018 and 2021 (KUL) and 2022 (TUOS) (9 JCR). The PhD graduates are now employed as postdoctoral researchers (Tulane University and KUL) and a specialist at Umicore (a leading circular materials technology company with ~15000 employees). Since 2024, I have been an associate professor in Geochemistry and Waste at the UAM, teaching 180-200 hours, supervising 3-5 final degree theses, serving on 10-20 final degree defence juries and participating in innovative teaching projects, all annually. Additionally, I conduct research on waste revalorization and leachate pollution attenuation, leading a European project, supervising a PhD thesis and participating in a national research project and 2 research contracts. I carry institutional responsibilities such as coordinating undergraduate and master’s courses (1-3), or managing Collaboration Agreements between UAM and a company (PreZero) or another university (UTEC) to foster joint research and PhD programs.

https://portalcientifico.uam.es/es/ipublic/researcher/261316

• Elsevier Associate Editor of Heliyon Earth Science (open access journal indexed in the JCR, Q2 (28/74 in MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES), impact factor in 2021=3.776) and MDPI Topic Editor of Minerals (open access journal indexed in the JCR, Q2 (42/87 in GEOCHEMISTRY & GEOPHYSICS), impact factor in 2021=2.818)

My interests range from the attenuation of metals in natural soils, to sorption and separation of metals to concentrate them and recover them with a three-fold objective: the supply of critical metals, the recycling of industrial waste and the remediation and management of soils.

Present research lines

Attenuation of landfill contaminants by compacted liners made of mixtures of non hazardous industrial process residues with clays. By controlling the key parameters to mimicking the real conditions, different scenarios are tested in both long time and distance scales, using geotechnical centrifuge modelling.

Keywords

• • • Hydrogeochemistry
    • Environmental Engineering
    • Reactive anti-pollution barriers
    • Landfill leachates
    • Diffusion transport
  • • Long-term attenuation performance

Work experience

• 13.03.2020 – 04.09.2020          Postdoctoral Research associate. University of Sheffield; 9th top university in the UK and 101^st in the World (ARWU, 2018) and Dept of Civil and Structural Engineering; top 4 in the UK for research excellence (Research Excellence Framework, 2014)
• 13.03.2018 – 12.03.2020     Postdoctoral Marie Curie individual fellow,  University of Sheffield

HARM: High Attenuation Recycling Materials as sustainable barriers for waste disposal sites. Principal investigator for the grant project and researcher for the laboratory study. Teaching to postgraduates

• 15.06.2017–28.02.2018       Postdoctoral Research associate. KU Leuven 2nd top university in Belgium and the 96^th in the World (ARWU, 2014) a leading, old and renowned European research university and co-founder of the League of European Research Universities (LERU)

Selective recovery of critical metals from industrial process residues and low-grade ores. Extraction of valuable metals via solvoleaching. Internal project leader.  Supervising PhD students.

• 15.06.2014 –14.06.2017       Postdoctoral Research fellow. KU Leuven

Recovery of rare earth elements by sorption and solvent extraction with ionic liquids. Internal project leader. Supervising PhD students.

• 05.11.2008-04.11.2013      Teaching Assistant. UAM the top university in Spain (ARWU, 2012) after renouncing a granted National predoctoral fellowship FPI at the IIAG-CSIC (ref. BES 2008-009995).

Hydrogeochemistry study of clayey samples from (1) substrata cores below real landfills and (2) column diffusion, full-scale, long-term experiments. Analysis, transformations, visualization and management of hydrogeological data. Hydrogeological modelling. Transmission of results about landfill leachate impacts on soil in seminars, conferences, technical reports and journals. Teaching to undergraduates and academic administration

• 03.12.2007-04.11.2008     Research Assistant. UAM Foundation

Soil and water analyses (pH, EC, main soluble and exchangeable ions, density, mineralogy, cationic exchange capacity…). Study, description, representation and discussion of the results

Education

• Mar 2012    PhD in Earth Sciences and the Environment (mention of European Doctor, 15% success rate).

Thesis: Diffusion of Pollutants in Old Landfills Built over Clayey Substrata. Advisor: Dr J Cuevas ♂. Excellent Cum Laude by unanimity. UAM

• Jul 2011       MSc in Environmental Geology & Geological Resources, with a 2^nd year specialization in Hydrology and Soils. Ranked 3rd in her promotion (in the top 10%)

Dissertation: Long-term Evaluation of the Diffusion of Landfill Leachates through a Compacted Clay Barrier. Advisor: Dr E Montero ♀. Complutense University of Madrid. Overall grade 8.66 (Maximum grade: 10).

• Sep 2007    Diploma of Advanced Studies (DEA): Proficiency as a researcher.

Dissertation: A GIS on Optimal Location of Terrestrial Aquaculture on the NW Coast of Spain. Advisor: Dr I Claver ♂. Polytechnic University of Madrid. Overall grade 8.67 (Maximum grade: 10)

• Jun 2005     BSc + MSc in Environmental Sciences. UAM. Overall grade 7.59 (Maximum grade: 10), in the top 25% of her promotion.