University of Alcalá de Henares (UAH)
Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.Michael Jordan
Jesús Alberto Escarpa Miguel
Dr. Alberto Escarpa is Analytical Chemistry Professor at the University of Alcalá since 2017. He has received several awards such as the prestigious NATO postdoctoral fellowship as a postdoctoral researcher at the State University of New Mexico (USA) in 2001 or the “Young Researchers Prize” by the University of Alcalá in 2003. He is the founder and the head of the research group “Miniaturization and Analytical Nanotechnologies” (MINYNANOTECH) since 2003. His research activity focuses on microfluidic techniques, biosensors, nanomaterials and micromotors. He is co-author of more than 130 scientific articles (Index h of 38) and the editor of books such as “Miniaturization of analytical systems: principles, designs and applications” (Wiley, 2009) and “Food Electroanalysis” (2015, Wiley). He has given more than 30 invited conferences in international congresses on microfluidics and miniaturization regarding Analytical Chemistry. He is also associate editor of Microchimica Acta, RSC Advances and Electrophores and a member of the editorial board of Electrophoresis, Food Chemistry, Applied Materials Today and Microchimica Acta. He has been a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry since 2016.
María Cristina González Martín
Mª Cristina González Martín is a university professor who has developed all her educational work and research activities in the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Alcalá, where she continues at the present. Dr. González has an extensive research experience in the field of electroanalysis and the use of nanomaterials as electrochemical detectors, with or without coupling to microfluidic systems. Since 1996 she has been investigating the development of electrochemical biosensors for the detection and determination of food, environmental and/or toxicological interest compounds. In 2002, she initiated to do some research on the field of microfluidic systems for capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection. This research still continues to be developed at the present, being focused mainly on the improvement of the detection using different types of nanomaterials. Her research has been reflected into numerous articles in different journals of great international prestige and in numerous communications to congresses, some of which had a special recognition as the research presented was awarded. Dr. González has also participated in numerous research projects related to the development of electrochemical sensor platforms and in the research training of more than 25 people. Also, Dr. González has made several research stays in national and foreign centres, among which it is included the one carried out in 2010 as a visiting professor at the Imperial College in London where she worked on the topic related to analytical nanostructured materials and microdevices. Finally, Dr. Gonzalez has been recognized, so far, 5 six-year terms of research and is a co-founder of the research group of the University of Alcalá, “Miniaturization and Analytical Nanotechnologies” (MINYNANOTECH).
Miguel Ángel López Gil
Miguel Ángel López is an Associate Professor at the University of Alcalá de Henares and develops his teaching and research activities in the Department of Analytical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. He is part of the research group “Miniaturization and analytical nanotechnologies” (MINYNANOTECH), in charge of the biosensory area. He has participated in numerous research projects, is co-author of numerous publications in prestigious journals, as well as editor of the book “Food Electroanalysis” (2015, Wiley) and co-author of several book chapters. His research activity focuses on the development of microfluidic platforms, biosensors, nanomaterials and micromotors.
Beatriz Jurado Sánchez
Beatriz Jurado Sánchez has been a Ramón y Cajal researcher in the Department of Analytical Chemistry, at the University of Alcalá de Henares since 2017. She received her PhD in chemistry from the University of Cordoba in 2009. In 2013 she was awarded the prestigious Marie Curie IOF fellowship to carry out research at the University of California, San Diego under the supervision of Prof. Joseph Wang. She has co-authored over 45 scientific papers (H Index = 20) and several book chapters. Her current research interests focus on the development of catalytic micromotors and Janus Janus particles for analytical and environmental applications.
Agustín González Crevillén
Agustín González got his PhD from the University of Alcalá in 2009. He completed a predoctoral stay at the Center of Biosensors and Bioelectronics (Biodesign Institute, ASU, Tempe, USA) in 2007 and a postdoctoral stay at the Institute of General Organic Chemistry (CSIC, Madrid) in the group of Instrumental Analysis in Environment, Food and Health (AIMAS) between 2009 and 2013. Next, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry (Laboratorios Normon, Tres Cantos). Currently, he is a PhD assistant professor in the Department of Analytical Sciences of the Faculty of Sciences of the UNED (2016). The results of his research career are the 19 publications in international journals, the co-authorship of two book chapters, the edition of a book in the RSC publishing house and the 25 participations in national and international scientific congresses. His main line of research is the development of electrochemical sensors based on nanomaterials such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, nanoparticles and metallic nanowires for the detection of food and clinical interest compounds.
María Moreno Guzmán
María Moreno got her PhD at the Complutense University of Madrid in 2013. Since December 2018, she is PhD Assistant Professor at the Complutene University of Madrid, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Sciences. As a result of her research career she has 22 publications in international journals, the co-authorship of a book chapter, 1 patent and 40 participations in national and international scientific congresses. Her main line of research is the development of electrochemical sensors based on nanomaterials such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, nanoparticles and metallic nanowires for the detection of compounds of food and clinical interest. Currently her research activity focuses on designing and building advanced sensor platforms integrable in miniaturized instrumentation for clinical applications, using new technology such as catalytic micromotors, in the Miniaturization and Analytical Nanotechnologies group (MINYNANOTECH) led by Prof. Alberto Escarpa in the University of Alcalá.
Laura García Carmona
PhD Student
Laura García Carmona studied Biology at the University of Alcalá (Madrid) where during the year 2012-2013 she participated as a research collaborator in the Department of Systems Biology in the group of Dr. Antonio Jiménez Ruiz, studying the molecular biology of the parasite Leishmania infantum. In 2014 she completed a master’s’s degree in Therapeutic Targets and Cell Signaling at the same university and joined the group of Dr. Alberto Escarpa, where she is currently working on her doctoral thesis in the field of sensors and nanomaterials, developing diagnosis and rare metabolic disease monitoring devices. During her doctoral thesis, she completed a 6-month pre-doctoral stay (2017-2018) at the University of California San Diego, under the supervision of Dr. Joseph Wang. She is also the author of 9 scientific articles (Index h = 4), 1 patent, 2 conferences and 4 poster-type communications in national and international congresses.
Roberto María Hormigos
PhD Student
Roberto María Hormigos is a Chemist from the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), where he also completed a master’s’s degree in Applied Chemistry. Between the years 2012-2015, he participated as a collaborator or predoctoral researcher in the Department of Analytical Chemistry and Instrumental Analysis in the group of Prof. Jesús Rodríguez Procopio at the UAM, developing electrochemical sensors with modified serigraphed electrodes for the determination of heavy metals and mycotoxins. In 2015 he joined the group of Dr. Alberto Escarpa as a FPI fellow, where he is currently doing his doctoral thesis on the development, characterization and analytical applications of catalytic micromotors based on carbon nanomaterials. As a result of his research activity, he is the author of 10 scientific articles (Index h = 6), 4 conferences and 8 poster-type communications at national and international conferences.
Águeda Molinero Fernández
PhD Student
Águeda Molinero Fernández graduated in Pharmacy from the University of Alcalá de Henares (Madrid). During her degree, she took external internships at the Renewable Energy Development Center (CEDER-CIEMAT). In 2015, she joined the research group of Prof. Alberto Escarpa, Miniaturization and Analytical Nanotechnologies (MINYNANOTECH) at the University of Alcalá, where she is currently doing his doctoral thesis. His research focuses on the design and development of new strategies based on microfluidic immunosensor platforms and catalytic micromotors for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. She is currently doing a predoctoral stay at Harvard University, under the supervision of Prof. George M. Whitesides. She is the author of 3 scientific articles, an oral communication in a national congress and a poster-type communication in an international congress.
Tania Sierra Gómez
PhD Student
Tania Sierra Gómez graduated in Chemistry from the University of Alcalá (Madrid). Afterwards, she completed a Master’s in Science Research in the Specialty of Chemistry taught by the University of Alcalá. Since 2017 she is a PhD student at the University of Alcalá in the research group of Professor Escarpa, Miniaturization and Analytical Nanotechnologies (MINYNANOTECH). Her research in this group is based on the exploration of different nanomaterials and their possible application in electrochemical sensing and biosensing, focusing on the rapid and inexpensive determination of biomarkers based on glycoproteins for their application in diagnosis and monitoring of diseases such as cancer. The result of her research career are five publications in international journals.
Daniel Rojas Tizón
PhD Student
Daniel Rojas holds a degree in Chemistry from the University of Alcalá (Madrid) and a master’s degree in Electrochemistry from the Autonomous University of Madrid. During 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 he participated as a research collaborator in the Department of Analytical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry and Chemical Engineering in the group of Prof. Alberto Escarpa. In 2017 he was selected as an ESR in the Rep-Eat project, funded by the prestigious MSCA-COFUND-2015 scholarship to carry out the doctoral thesis. Currently, he is working on a PhD thesis in co-supervision between the University of Teramo (Italy) and the University of Alcalá focused on the development of new nanomaterials for Lab-on-a-Chip devices with the aim of studying oxidative stress, as well as the effect functional foods may have in it. In addition, he is the author of 2 scientific articles, 1 conference and 2 poster-type communications in national and international congresses.
Marta Pacheco Jerez
PhD Student
Marta Pacheco Jerez (Lucena, Córdoba 1993) graduated in Biotechnology from the University of Cádiz in 2015. During three academic years, she participated as a collaborating student in the Department of Organic Chemistry under the tutelage of Dr. Josefina Aleu Casatejada. Afterwards, she completed his Master’s’s studies in Therapeutic Targets in Cell Signaling, Research and Development at the University of Alcalá during the 2015-2016 academic year. During this year, she did an internship at the National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC) in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology. In 2017, she began her Doctoral Thesis in the research group of Prof. Alberto Escarpa, Miniaturization and Analytical Nanotechnologies (MINYNANOTECH) at the University of Alcalá, focusing on the synthesis of Janus micromotors for biomedical, analytical and environmental applications. She is the author of 3 scientific articles (index h = 3) and 3 poster-type communications in national and international congresses.
Víctor de la Asunción Nadal
PhD Student
Víctor de la Asunción Nadal (Gandia, Valencia) completed his Degree in Chemistry at the University of Valencia (2012-2016) and Master’s Degree in Sensors for Industrial Applications at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (2017-2018). He developed his Master’s Final Project titled “Respiratory-Resistance Sensor based on a nanocomposite PANI / MWCNT for the detection of biogenic amines” in AIMPLAS (Technological Institute of Plastic). Since 2018, he is a PhD student in Chemistry in the MINYNANOTECH research group. Currently, his research focuses on the development of magnetic micromotors based on transition metal dicalcogenides for analytical and environmental applications.
Silvia Dortez Herranz
PhD Student
Silvia Dortez Herranz graduated in Chemistry from the University of Alcalá (Madrid). She completed her Final Degree Project in the Department of Inorganic Chemistry, from the same university, entitled: “Synthesis and structural study of metal-organic networks (MOF’s): Study of the halogen link as a supramolecular network trainer”. Since 2018, she has been a predoctoral researcher (hired predoctoral) at the University of Alcalá in the research group headed by University Professor Alberto Escarpa: Miniaturization and Analytical Nanotechnologies (MINYNANOTECH). Currently, her research is focused on the determination of phenolic compounds in food samples through the formation of gold nanoparticles through a colorimetric method.
Jaime Rojo Fernández
PhD Student
Jaime Rojo Fernández studied the Degree in Chemistry at the University of Alcalá de Henares, finishing his studies in 2017. The same year he completed a course on
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at the University of Alcalá de Henares. Then, he obtained the Master’s Degree in Experimental Techniques in Chemistry by the University of Valencia. Currently, he belongs to the research group of the Professor Alberto Escarpa, Miniaturization and Analytical Nanotechnologies (MINYNANOTECH).
In 2018 he received a scholarship from the prestigious Caixa Impulse project for the
project “Micro motors-based device for early diagnosis of late-on set sepsis in very
low birth weight neonates “, in which he is currently working. This has as an objective the development of a lab-on-chip device based on nanomaterials for the early diagnosis of sepsis in neonates. In addition, he is the author of 1 scientific article published in the magazine Angewandte Chemie International Edition and 1 poster-type communication at the XVIII meeting of the Society Spanish Chromatography and Related Techniques (SETyTA).
Kaisong Yuan
PhD Student
Kaisong Yuan (Guangdong, China) completed his Degree in Bachelor of Science (Specialty: Pharmacy) at the Guangdong Pharmaceutical University (2009/2013) a and Master’s Degree in Medicine (Specialty: Pharmaceutical Analysis) at the Guangdong Pharmaceutical University (2013/2016). The thesis of his master degree include “A simple and compact fluorescence detection system for capillary electrophoresis and its application to food analysis” and “Sensitive determination of
rose bengal in brown sugar by molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction monolithic capillary column coupled with capillary electrophoresis”. Meanwhile, (11/2015-11/2016), he worked on a biopharmaceutical company (Bio-Thera Solutions Ltd.) for monoclonal antibody analysis. From 2017, he worked on a PhD thesis in co-supervision between University of Alcalá (Spain) and Jinan University (China). His research focuses on the development of 2D materials based Janus motors for analytical and biomedical applications.