Miguel Claros, PhD student under the supervision of Prof. Alicia Casitas (Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany) and Prof. Julio Lloret-Fillol (ICIQ), has virtually defended his PhD thesis entitled “Development of Visible-Light Photoredox Methodologies towards the Activation of Carbon-Halogen Bonds” (assigned to the Department of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili) publicly on June 10th.
The members of the examining committee were: Prof. Julia Pérez-Prieto (Universidad de Valencia), Dr. Marcos G. Suero (ICIQ) and Prof. Diego Jesús Cárdenas Morales (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid).
Dr. Claros with the members of the evaluation committee
Dr. Clarós is from Asturias, Spain. Before joining the Lloret-Fillol group in 2016, he studied Chemistry at the Oviedo University. He likes the calm of the mountains and the Asturian weather.
Why did you become a scientist?
Since I was young, I was very curious and liked to disassemble any device I could set my hands on to see how it worked. I think that curiosity about the inner workings and composition of things is what woke my interest in science.
From the lessons learnt at ICIQ, which one do you value the most?
I liked the seminars because you discover different fields of chemistry and how other scientists work. During these years I have also learnt the importance of perseverance and patience.
What ICIQ moment you’ll never forget? What will you miss the most from ICIQ?
A lot of people arrived at ICIQ at the same time as me. Over the years, we’ve gathered many times to deliberate which are the best beers. Also, I will miss the ICIQ Christmas dinners and parties.
What advice do you have for someone who’s starting their PhD now?
Patience! I think that’s the most important advice I can give. And take advantage of the opportunities you have; you can learn from everyone and everything!
Where are you going next? What will you do there?
I will return to Asturias. After more than four years in the Mediterranean weather, I need to go back to the Cantabrian with the cold, rain and fresh air… I want to spend a few days lost in the mountains without knowing exactly where I am or what I am going. I need to disconnect my brain for a while, but I want to do a postdoc afterwards.
If you were a piece of lab equipment, what would you be?
I would be an Allen key because it was my loyal friend these years: I built the reactors of the group with their help.