The scientist was one of 10 young researchers elected by an international committee of experts among 104 candidates to join the institution.
Katherine Villa, ICIQ Group Leader, is one of the new members of the Young Academy of Spain. The new members were elected last week by an international committee of experts, who have revised more than 100 applications. The jury not only considered the academic merits, but also other factors such as the multidisciplinary work of their fields, the excellence in developing patents and software, and the ERC grants.
Villa’s appointment reflects her individual achievements and highlights the solid research conducted at ICIQ, where she is focused on advanced photocatalytic materials for energy and environmental applications.
Her inclusion in the Young Academy of Spain is a recognition to her exceptional contributions to the field of chemical research. Over the past two years, Katherine has led a research group at ICIQ and has been successful in securing highly competitive grants, including MSCA-COFUND-University of Padova, Beatriu de Pinós, la Caixa Junior Leader, Ramón y Cajal, and ERC-StG 2022 for her project PhotoSwim. Throughout her scientific career, she has worked in 8 research centers across Colombia, Spain, the Czech Republic, and Belgium.
About the Young Academy of Spain:
The Young Academy of Spain, established in 2019 by seven Spanish researchers who were members of the Global Young Academy, serves as a platform to promote scientific excellence and collaboration among young researchers. Its objectives include inspiring the youth to pursue scientific careers, fostering research and innovation, and influencing policies related to knowledge advancement in Spain.
The Academy’s membership encompasses diverse disciplines, including computer science, engineering, archeology, cultural anthropology, paleontology, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, biology, chemistry, psychology, physics, European politics and culture, tourism, art history, dance, neuroscience, ecology, environment, mathematics, artificial intelligence, sports science, linguistics, philology, food technology, and philosophy.