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:

van Hulst, Niek F.

Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO)

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van Hulst, Niek F.
Research Professor at
Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO)
Engineering Sciences
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Research interests

My current interest is to control light interaction at the nanometer scale. To this end, my group specializes on optical antennas, with nanoscale hot spots, and on coherent control schemes to command light on the "femto-nano" scale. We study individual molecules, quantum dots and single proteins, in strong interaction with nanoantenna-cavities and sub-10-fs pulses; controlling excitation-emission rates, direction, spectra, polarization, single photon character. We focus particularly on transport and coupling in single light-harvesting antenna complexes at native conditions, to unravel the efficiency and robustness of energy conversion in such natural molecular antennas. At ICFO I aim to stimulate young researchers, towards well-rooted skilled scientists and assertive critical thinkers, ready to shape their future and sustain the world. To reflect & recharge, I like to touch ground in the Massis del Garraf, rambling between Mediterranean waters and Catalan winefields.

Key words
NanoPhotonics, Single Molecules, Optical Antennas, Molecular Photonics, Quantum Coherence, Coherent Control, Energy Transfer

ORCID
: 0000-0003-4630-1776

RESEARCHER ID
: J-2121-2012
Verde, Licia

Universitat de Barcelona (UB)

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Verde, Licia
Research Professor at
Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
Experimental Sciences & Mathematics
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Research interests

I am interested in Cosmology, which is the study of the origin, evolution and composition of the universe. One of the recent discoveries in cosmology is that more than 70% of what makes up the universe is not even matter, but something that suggests that some energy is associated with the nothingness of vacuum: "dark energy". Dark energy may as well be one of the major problems in physics today and is motivating a host of future and planned experiments. I study the "large-scale distribution of galaxies", their statistical properties and how the emerge and evolve from the Universe's initial conditions, which can be gleaned from the statistical properties of the heat left over from the big bang. These observations are used to shed light on the Universe composition, including the dark energy component, the Universe's history and evolution and ultimately the physics governing it.

Key words
Cosmology: large-scale structure of the Universe, interpretation of cosmological data, connection between theory and observations

ORCID
: 0000-0003-2601-8770
Vernos, Isabelle

Centre de Regulació Genòmica (CRG)

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Vernos, Isabelle
Research Professor at
Centre de Regulació Genòmica (CRG)
Life & Medical Sciences
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Research interests

Life depends on the ability of cells to divide while maintaining their genomic integrity. Cell division is therefore a critical process and yet involves the full reversible reorganization of most of intra-cellular components. In particular it involves the transient assembly of a microtubule based molecular machine, the bipolar spindle that organizes and segregates the chromosomes during cell division. We recently identified a novel mechanism involving the postranslational modification of the spindle microtubules that is required for chromosome segregation fidelity in normal cells. This mechanism is at stake in cancer cells that often misegregate chromosomes. Indeed aneuploidy and chromosomal instability are two hallmarks of particularly aggressive tumors. Our aim is to understand how this mechanism and other regulatory signalling pathways ensure the proper execution of mitosis and identify novel targets to prevent cancer cell proliferation.

Key words
Cell division

ORCID
: 0000-0003-1469-9214

RESEARCHER ID
: C-1687-2015
Vidal i Ferran, Anton

Universitat de Barcelona (UB)

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Vidal i Ferran, Anton
Research Professor at
Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
Experimental Sciences & Mathematics
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Research interests

Our current objectives encompass developing efficient, reliable and selective catalytic systems for synthetic transformations of interest, and studying their use to prepare relevant products for the life science and fine chemical sectors. Crucial aspects of this work include the modularity of the catalytic systems, the versatility of the synthetic strategies for their preparation and the incorporation of supramolecular motifs (when appropriate) in the catalyst’s structure to achieve additional function, taking into account the issue of sustainability. In terms of the catalytic transformations under homogeneous conditions that are being studied, our research interests focus on generating value-added products from unsaturated compounds through pivotal chemical transformations such as stereoselective hydrogenations, hydroformylations, hydroalkoxylations, hydrovinylations and hydroborations and C-C couplings on non-halogenated substrates.

Key words
Organic chemistry, Enantioselective catalysis, Preparation of industrially relevant enantiopure products, Development of sustainable production methods, Supramolecular Catalysis, Molecular Recognition, Chiral Functional Materials

ORCID
: 0000-0001-7926-1876

RESEARCHER ID
: A-5784-2013
Vidal, Fernando

Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV)

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Vidal, Fernando
Research Professor at
Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV)
Humanities
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Research interests

How do values and the production and application of scientific knowledge interact in particular contexts to shape views and practices of the human? This has been the common question of my main research interests, which have long concerned the history of the mind/brain sciences from the early modern “sciences of the soul” to contemporary neurosciences. I keep working in those areas (see Lines of Research), but now also explore that question in the framework of medical anthropology and phenomenology. My main current project, which involves a network of researchers, patients and caregivers in Europe, the US and Japan, examines how the "disorders of consciousness" articulate with conceptions of personhood and forms of subjectivity. It focuses on the locked-in syndrome (known to the public through the film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), a condition that leaves the mind intact, but the body almost entirely paralyzed.

Key words
History of the human sciences, Medical anthropology and phenomenology, Biomedical ethics, Science and society

ORCID
: 0000-0002-2956-8607

RESEARCHER ID
: L-7384-2014
Vila Bover, Miquel

Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR)

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Vila Bover, Miquel
Research Professor at
Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR)
Life & Medical Sciences
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Research interests

Our research is geared toward elucidating the molecular mechanisms of neuron cell death occurring in Parkinson's disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's dementia, in order to: (i) identify biomarkers for the diagnosis, early detection, patient stratification, disease progression, prognosis or response to treatment, (ii) identify new molecular targets for potential therapeutic intervention, (iii) develop novel therapeutic strategies with disease-modifying potential for this currently incurable disease, (iv) unravel molecular pathways common to other neurodegenerative diseases.

Key words
Neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson's disease, neurodegeneration, mitochondria, apoptosis, autophagy, neuroinflammation, intracellular inclusions, neuroprotection

ORCID
: 0000-0002-1352-989X