The ICREAs

ICREA Research Professors form a vibrant community of scientists and researchers in all areas of knowledge that contribute to the advancement of humankind by exploring, interpreting and questioning. Have a look and learn about their amazing discoveries and findings here:

Odintsov, Sergey

Institut de Ciències de l'Espai (CSIC - ICE)

CLOSE

Odintsov, Sergey
Research Professor at
Institut de Ciències de l'Espai (CSIC - ICE)
Experimental Sciences & Mathematics
view profile

Research interests

I develop the theory which should describe our universe evolution as a whole. My main purpose is to resolve the fundamental puzzle of modern cosmology: why and how the universe accelerates? What is Dark Energy and Inflation? In fact, I proposed the first modified gravity which may describe the consistent universe history. In relation with modified gravity we proposed new very general and non-singular entropy which generalises known earlier variants. The alternative gravity which we develop should describe the whole sequence of the universe eras: inflation, radiation-matter dominance and dark energy era in a unified way. We also continue the search for exotic intermediate eras like pre-inflationary or exotic reheating era and the related gravitational waves. Our study of current universe will clarify its future: if it will expand eternally or if its evolution will be finished in the future singularity.

Key words
dark energy; inflation; modified gravity;string theory and quantum gravity; cosmology; quantum fields; astrophysics and black holes; Casimir effect;

ORCID
: 0000-0002-3529-7030

RESEARCHER ID
: C-9691-2014
Olsaretti, Serena

Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)

CLOSE

Olsaretti, Serena
Research Professor at
Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
Humanities
view profile

Research interests

My research is in moral and political philosophy. I am currently working on a book on the fair distribution of the costs and benefits of children, provisionally titled Parental Justice, which draws on research done between 2015 and 2021 as the PI of an ERC Consolidator project on "Justice and the Family. An Analysis of the Normative Significance of Procreation and Parenthood in a Just Society". I hold we need to address relatively neglected questions concerning the responsibilities and rights of procreators and parents in a just society in order to develop a complete and defensible theory of justice. Recently I have begun to examine how liberal states should respond to procreation and migration as two sources of demographic renewal. In the past I have worked on the ethics of markets, the ideal of liberty, egalitarianism and responsibility and theories of well-being.

Key words
Justice, the Market, Egalitarianism, the Family, Well-Being

ORCID
: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6775-8551
Orengo Romeu, Hector A

Institut Català d'Arqueologia Clàssica (ICAC)

CLOSE

Orengo Romeu, Hector A
Research Professor at
Institut Català d'Arqueologia Clàssica (ICAC)
Humanities
view profile

Research interests

Hèctor’s research has mainly focused on the analysis of human-landscape dynamics in Mediterranean environments and beyond. He has developed extensive research on computational archaeology that includes, but is not restricted to, GIS and remote sensing techniques, field survey, and site detection methods. He is currently working on the application of machine learning to archaeological research using cloud computing and big data sources (mostly multisource multitemporal satellite data, drone imagery and lidar).

Key words
Computational archaeology, remote sensing, machine learning, landscape archaeology, Old World civilisatoins

ORCID
: 0000-0002-9385-2370

RESEARCHER ID
: S-3955-2018
Ortega, Francisco

Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV)

CLOSE

Ortega, Francisco
Research Professor at
Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV)
Humanities
view profile

Research interests

I am involved in interdisciplinary projects at the interface between the Health and the Human Sciences with several institutions across the world. My research combines medical anthropology, history and philosophy of science, transcultural psychiatry, cultural and disability studies, public health and global health to develop an interdisciplinary framework for investigating 1) the interactions between global biopsychiatry and local psychiatric epistemologies; 2) the revitalization of social medicine as a vital intersection of social sciences, medical practice and policy; 3) the interfaces between the brain sciences and the human and social sciences; 4) the role of neuroscientific theories in the construction of personal and social identities; 5) the pragmatic negotiation of psychiatric diagnosis; 6) the emergence of new forms of solidarity and mutual aid in the context of the health and economic crisis of the covid-19 pandemic.

Key words
medical anthropology; global mental health; medical humanities; neuroscience and society; sociology of diagnosis; global social medicine

ORCID
: orcid.org/0000-0002-5039-9449

RESEARCHER ID
: E-9867-2016
Osuna Oliveras, Sílvia

Universitat de Girona (UdG)

CLOSE

Osuna Oliveras, Sílvia
Research Professor at
Universitat de Girona (UdG)
Experimental Sciences & Mathematics
view profile

Research interests

Sílvia’s research lies at the interface between computational chemistry and biology. Her research focuses on the study of biochemical processes mainly related to enzyme catalysis. Her lab is developing new computational tools for predicting which amino acid changes are required to the enzyme structure for allowing novel function, enhancing a promiscuous side reaction, or expanding its substrate scope. Her goal is to enable the routine computational design of proficient enzymes to boost their use in industry for the synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant targets. She also applies the developed methodologies to the study of the recognition and assembly process of biomolecules with carbon-based materials.

Key words
computational chemical biology, computational enzyme design, computational chemistry

ORCID
: 0000-0003-3657-6469

RESEARCHER ID
: B-6191-2009
Palomares, Emilio

Institut Català d'Investigació Química (ICIQ)

CLOSE

Palomares, Emilio
Research Professor at
Institut Català d'Investigació Química (ICIQ)
Experimental Sciences & Mathematics
view profile

Research interests

My research is focused on several aspects of light induced electron transfer reactions in supramolecular structures and nanostructured inorganic materials. Such research activity has evolved towards the control and improvement of the reactions that govern the efficiency on molecular and supramolecular optoelectronic devices such as molecular solar cells - strategy which holds the promise for the achievement of low cost light-to-energy conversion devices- and the creation of new hybrid nanomaterials for hydrogen production and molecular based sensing devices to detect toxic substance on the environment. I'm personally also involved in promoting science and education in our society through chemistry workshops for primary and secondary schools. Last but not least, during the last years our group has contributed with efforts towards the use of nanomaterials for biomedical applications in human rare diseases.

Key words
Photovoltaic, Solar Energy, Nanomaterials, polymers, dyes

ORCID
: 0000-0002-5092-9227