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:

Castillo Ocaranza, Carlos

Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)

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Castillo Ocaranza, Carlos
Research Professor at
Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
Engineering Sciences
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Research interests

The focus of my research is algorithmic fairness. Currently, I work on automated risk assessment methods that satisfy algorithmic fairness criteria, such as separability and sufficiency, validating them through interdisciplinary research in various applied settings. I also work on algorithms for fair recommendation and fair search, seeking to give similar items similar exposure, as well as trying to steer people away from false or misleading information or harmful content.

Key words
Algorithmic Fairness, Social Computing

ORCID
: 0000-0003-4544-0416

RESEARCHER ID
: E-4752-2016
Catalán Bernabé, Gustau

Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2)

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Catalán Bernabé, Gustau
Research Professor at
Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2)
Experimental Sciences & Mathematics
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Research interests

A common denominator of my work is the search for emerging physical phenomena at the nanoscale. Much of my better-known research concerns the coupling between electrical polarization and strain gradients (a phenomenon known as flexoelectricity) which happens to be very large at the nanoscale. Over the last decade, and with the help of an European Research Council (ERC) grant, I set up in Barcelona one of the world's first specialized laboratories specifically dedicated to this phenomenon (there are a number of them now). Prominent discoveries in this area from our group have been the large flexoelectricity of semiconductors, the existence (and important physiological role) of flexoelectricity in bones, and the identification of the participation of flexoelectricity in fracture physics. In parallel, I have also worked on other nanoscale phenomena in oxides: metal-insulator transitions, the physics of domain walls, antiferroelectricity and photovoltaic effects of polar materials.

Key words
ferroelectricity, flexoelectricity, piezoelectricity, domain walls, perovskite oxides, metal-insulator transitions, thin films.

ORCID
: 0000-0003-0214-4828

RESEARCHER ID
: D-3233-2015
Cau Ontiveros, Miguel Ángel

Universitat de Barcelona (UB)

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Cau Ontiveros, Miguel Ángel
Research Professor at
Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
Humanities
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Research interests

I have a major research interest in Roman and Late Antique Archaeology, and in pottery studies especially in the analysis of coarse and cooking wares. I have specialised in the application of physico-chemical, mineralogical and petrographic techniques to the study of ceramics to investigate their provenance, technology, distribution, and consumption. I have a broad interest in the analytical study of ceramics, including the theoretical foundations of the discipline and the study of living pottery-making traditions. One of my main research interests is to investigate the transformation of the Roman world, particularly on Mediterranean islands. I am currently leading excavations at the Roman and Late Antique city of Pollentia, the Christian complex of Son Peretó (Mallorca), the exceptional Late Roman shipwreck of Ses Fontanelles, as well as field surveys, and ceramic ethnoarchaeology expeditions in the Balearics and Sardinia. I am also working at the Roman villa of Llorís (Lleida).

Key words
archaeology, archaeometry, ethnoarchaeometry, ceramics, cooking wares, coarse wares, Late Antiquity, Roman, Mediterranean, island systems, Balearics, complex societies.

ORCID
: orcid.org/0000-0002-1138-157X

RESEARCHER ID
: M-2062-2014
Cerutti, Andrea

Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM)

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Cerutti, Andrea
Research Professor at
Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM)
Life & Medical Sciences
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Research interests

The splenic marginal zone and gut mucosa can be viewed as interfaces between the immune system and the circulation or external environment, respectively. My group studies how B cells strategically positioned in these "frontline" areas make antibodies against circulating or intraluminal antigens, including intestinal microbes. We are particularly interested in the mechanism whereby splenic stromal cells or splenic innate immune cells, including neutrophils, dendritic cells, macrophages and innate lymphoid cells, facilitate the activation of splenic marginal zone B cells. We are also analyzing how intestinal B cells generate antibodies to commensal bacteria and how these antibodies shape the composition of the gut microbiota. Finally, we study the alterations of B cells in patients with primary antibody deficiency, including selective IgA deficiency and common variable deficiency. Our research is relevant to infections, inflammation, autoimmunity, immunodeficiency, and vaccine development.

Key words
B cells, Immunoglobulins, Heavy Chain Class Switching, Mucosal Immunity
Chang, Darrick

Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO)

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Chang, Darrick
Research Professor at
Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO)
Experimental Sciences & Mathematics
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Research interests

The research of Prof. Chang and his Theoretical Quantum Nanophotonics group at ICFO is based upon a vision that quantum effects are at the forefront of future technologies and discoveries, and that nanophotonic systems will be a prominent platform for this frontier. Specifically, they aim to harness the unique configurability, large optical forces, and strong light-matter interaction strengths achievable in nanophotonic systems to produce new applications and phenomena involving matter and light, which have no analogue in macroscopic setups. The group also develops theoretical techniques that enable a better understanding of the complex phenomena at play. The work is highly inter-disciplinary, and the group explores the potential impact across atomic physics, quantum optics, nonlinear optics, nano-mechanics, low-dimensional materials, and quantum information science. They also collaborate with leading experimental groups to bring their theoretical ideas toward reality.

Key words
atomic physics, quantum optics

ORCID
: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5426-7339
Chillón Rodríguez, Miguel

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)

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Chillón Rodríguez, Miguel
Research Professor at
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
Life & Medical Sciences
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Research interests

Medicine still has many challenges to solve especially on complex diseases where a large number of both, genetic and environmental factors, are involved. Among them, aging-associated diseases and rare disorders have attracted attention because there are no effective curative treatments for them. Some of these diseases affecting the nervous system, which in addition is difficult to access and to manipulate with classical pharmacological treatments. To address these problems we have focused our research interests on three main objectives: (1) gene therapy strategies for diseases affecting the nervous system, such as rare neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders; (2) gene therapy strategies using chronokines for cognitive decline and dementia; and (3) development of more efficient and less immunogenic viral vectors. To determine the therapeutic potential of our research strategies we work with animal models and well as with iPS-derived neurons from biopsies taken from patients

Key words
Gene therapy, viral vectors, Alzheimer disease, aging, neurodegenerative diseases;mechanisms of memory formation; autoimmune diseases ; Multiple sclerosis

ORCID
: 0000-0003-0840-2111