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Isabel Abánades Lázaro

I was born in Guadalajara, Spain in 1992. I did my bachelor’s in chemistry (2010-2014) at the Universidad de Alcala de Henares (Madrid), and my final year as an Erasmus at Trinity College Dublin. I received a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Glasgow (UK) in 2018. After spending a large part of my research career abroad (2013-2018) with 5 years of international research experience (Trinity College Dublin, University of Glasgow and University of Cambridge), I obtained a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship at the Institute of Molecular Science (ICMol) of the University of Valencia in 2019. Shortly after, I was awarded a Juan de la Cierva Incorporacion Fellowship, with which I am currently developing my research.

My research is based on the interrelation between material´s synthesis, properties and function, including applications such as catalysis, drug delivery and gas separation. During my PhD I engineered the surface of MOFs for their enhanced anticancer drug delivery applications, developing the click modulation and the defect-drug loading protocols. During my MSCA Fellowship I unravelled the defect chemistry of Ti-MOFs, which remained underexplored to date, and their multivariate modulation, enhancing their catalytic applications. During my JdCI Fellowship I have tuned the pore size and the nature and concentration of open metal sites of MOF materials for their gas separation and catalytic applications,  I have studied the potential of new materials for drug delivery applications, and I g new Metal-Organic Polyhedra. Currently, with my Junior Leader ‘la Caixa’ I am studying the multivariate modulation of MOFs. 

Choosing quality over quantity, I have published 23 articles , being the first author of 17 and corresponding author of 7 (one with front cover and two as the sole author). My publications collect > 1200 citations since 2017, with a normalized impact factor (clarivate 2016-2020, applied chemistry) of 2.33 that highlights the relevance of my work.

I have obtained scholarships, projects and prestigious awards such asJunior Leader la Caixa, Ramón y Cajal Fellowship,  MSCA Fellowship, Juan de la Cierva formación and incorporación (currently), ApostD, RSC Researcher Mobility Grant, 11 synchrotron proposals (3 PI, 7 co-PI for ALBA and 1 PI for Elettra), securing a total of ca.800K€ funding.

I have been selected to attend the 70th and 71st Lindau Meeting of Nobel Laureates, reunions that selects the young scientific leaders of the future to exchange views with Nobel laureates during a week, which together with other merits, means that my research is recognized internationally beyond my field.

I have communicated my research to the scientific community through scientific publications and presentations at conferences, and to the wider community through outreach activities, press releases and interviews. I have experience in project management and organization of R&D activities, I have co-directed three Master’s theses, demonstrated diverse chemistry subjects and taught general chemistry theory.

Academic position

  • 31/05/2023  –date Junior Leader ‘la Caixa’ Fellow  at the University of Valencia. 

  • 31/12/2021 –31/05/2023 Juan de la Cierva Postdoctoral Fellow in the CEL group at the University of Valencia. 

  • 20/09/2021 – 31/12/2021 Postdoctoral Researcher in the CEL group at the University of Valencia. ERC consolidator grant S-Cage.

  • 13/05/2021 – 20/09/2021  Career break, Volunteering for a mental health association.

  • 13/05/2019 – 13/05/2021 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow (H2020-MSCA-IF-2018-837804 DefTiMOFs) in the FuniMat Research Group at University of Valencia.

  • 28/2/2019 – 13/05/2019 Postdoctoral Researcher in the FuniMat Research Group at the University of Valencia  (AMBICoat)’ (RTC-2017-6428-5).

  • 1/10/2018 – 28/2/2019 Postdoctoral Researcher in the FuniMat Research Group at the University of Valencia. ERC Starting Grant (Chem-fs-MOF).

  • 01/04/2018– 31/08/2018 Postdoctoral Researcher in the Forgan Research Group at the University of Glasgow. ERC Starting Grant (SCoTMOF).

  • 01/10/ 2014 – 31/03/ 2018 PhD student in the Forgan Research Group at the University of Glasgow (Dr Ross Forgan).

  • 1/09/2013 – 31/07/2014 – Undergraduate Researcher at the Bioinspired Inorganic Chemistry Research Group at Trinity College Dublin (Dr Aidan McDonald).

  • 01/06/2013 – 31/08/2013 Undergraduate Researcher in the Immunology Department of Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain (Dr Victoria del Pozo).

  • 01/06/2012 – 31/08/2012 Undergraduate Researcher in the Department of Analytical Chemistry at Universidad of Alcalá de Henares (Dr Maria Soledad Vera).

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Academic education

  • 01/10/ 2014 – 31/03/ 2018: PhD in Chemistry, University of Glasgow 

 

‘The Effect of Surface Functionalisation on Cancer Cells Internalisation and Selective Cytotoxicity of Zirconium Metal-Organic Frameworks’ Dr Ross Forgan as supervisor.

Courses: Responsibilities and good ethical practise in research; Presenting with impact; Effective writing; Project management; Writing for publication; X-Ray crystallography for chemists; X-Ray Radiation Safety.

  • 10/09/2010 – 25/06/2014: Chemistry Bachelor Degree with Honours. Alcalá de Henares University (UAH) Spain.
  • 1/09/2013 – 31/07/2014: Erasmus in Trinity College Dublin (TCD) – First Class Honours

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‘Synthesis of analogues of DACO as ligands to stabilize late transition metal-oxo complexes’’ Dr Aidan McDonald as supervisor.

Research stays in other scientific institutions

Adsorption & Advanced Materials Research Group at University of Cambridge (Dr David Fairen-Jimenez). Investigation of the cervical cancer cellular routes of internalisation of bare and surface functionalised MOFs and their correlation with their cytotoxicity when loaded with an anticancer drug. November 2016 (1 month), Funded by the Royal Society of Chemistry, Mobility Grant.

Department of Immunology at Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain (Dr Victoria del Pozo). Investigating the human immune response towards MOFs as drug delivery systems (macrophages and lymphocytes uptake, reactive oxygen species production and cytotoxicity). January 2017 (1 month)

Relevant awards and distintions

2023 Ramón y Cajal Fellowship RYC2022-036868-I

2023 Impulso a Jóvenes Talentos, COPE Castilla la Mancha.

2023 Premio científico Ciudad de Algemesí (500€)

2022 Junior Leader La Caixa Retaining Fellowship LCF/BQ/PR23/11980041

2022 Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ) Conference attendance grant (250 €).

2022 Selection for attendance at the 71st Chemistry Nobel Laureate Lindau Meeting.

2021 APostD (APOSTD/2021/002; 92K €) and Juan de la Cierva Fellowships (IJC2020-044374-I; 98K €)

2021 Interviewed by Chemistry Views (DOI: 10.1002/chemv.202100067)

2020 Selection for attendance at the 70th Interdisciplinary Nobel Laureate Lindau Meeting.

2019-2022 Seven funded ALBA and Elettra synchrotron proposals (2 PI, 5 co-PI) (equivalent to over 130K €)

2019 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (H2020-MSCA-IF-2018-837804; 165 k€).

2017 PhD Award – Academic trip to University of Edinburgh.

2017 PhD Award– Honour mention granted by ABTA.

2016 MOF2016 (California, USA) Poster Presentation Award.

2016 Royal Society of Chemistry Research Mobility Grant £3000

2016-2018 Four Conference attendance mobility grants (2 RSC and 2 UoG funding)