Dr. Katherine Villa, ICIQ Group Leader, awarded with a Leonardo Grant in Basic Sciences

Dr. Katherine Villa, one of ICIQ’s group leaders has been recognised with the prestigious Leonardo Grant for Researchers and Cultural Creators in the Area of Basic Sciences (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics). This recognition is granted by the Evaluation Commission of the BBVA Foundation, made up of independent experts of international prestige who have publicly announced the 58 selected in this call.

The Leonardo Grant is highly competitive, and in this edition, a total of 1090 applications were received in the ten fields covered, with 128 applications specifically in the area of Basic Sciences from which only 6 were successful. Dr. Villa stood out among the candidates and obtained funding to carry out her innovative project called Optical Rechargeable Nanorobots for Fungal Biofilm Eradication (RobotsFun).

This is not the first time that Dr. Villa has received recognition for her outstanding achievements in scientific research. Recently, she obtained the competitive Starting Grant of the European Research Council (ERC) with a financing of 1.5 million euros to carry out her project in the next 5 years. Furthermore, since she joined ICIQ as “la Caixa” Junior Leader, she has accumulated a series of awards, grants and recognition in the scientific field.

ICIQ community celebrates this new recognition: Congratulations Dra. Villa!

About Dr. Katherine Villa

Dr. Villa obtained her degree in Chemistry from the University of Quindío (Colombia) and later moved to Spain to continue her scientific career. After obtaining her PhD, she carried out postdoctoral stays at various institutes, including the Energy Research Institute of Catalonia (IREC), the Bioengineering Institute of Catalonia (IBEC) and as a Senior Scientist at the University of Chemistry and Technology (Czech Republic). in the fields of solar fuels and self-propelled micromotors.

Throughout her scientific career, she has worked in 8 research centers in different countries, including Spain, Portugal, France, Czech Republic and Belgium demonstrating her passion for science and her ability to excel in highly competitive environments. Her research interests include photocatalysis, nanomaterials, renewable energy, micro/nanomotors, and environmental remediation.