Fitxa persona

I completed my chemistry degree from University of Valencia in 1999. Then, I moved to the University of Girona to work on the synthesis (in solution and solid phase) of heterocycle libraries, as a fellow of the agreement between the University and the pharmaceutical company Janssen Cilag S.A., under the supervision of Professor Jose Manuel Villalgordo. In November 2001, I got a fellowship from the Generalitat Valenciana to perform my doctoral thesis at the University Jaume I (UJI) of Castellón, working on asymmetric synthesis of natural products and development of synthetic methodologies (specifically aldol reactions with double asymmetric induction), under the supervision of Professors J. Alberto Marco and Miguel Carda.

After the completion of my PhD I was granted a fellowship of continuity of the University Jaume I, followed by two postdoctoral research contracts in March 2006 and the year 2010, to continue my research in the group of Professors Marco and Carda. Firstly I finished the study about the aldol additions with double asymmetric induction, but later the research was evolving from synthesis of natural products to medicinal chemistry (specifically searching for improved antimitotics).

During this tenure I had a chance to visit several other laboratories for research experience and exchange. In late 2007 I made a postdoctoral stay of 4 months in the group of Professor M.C. Willis at the University of Oxford (in the Chemistry Research Laboratory), working on the development and application of enantioselective Suzuki couplings to the synthesis of natural products. In the years 2012-2013 I made several stays at the Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC), in Madrid, with Dr. Fernando Díaz to study interactions with tubulin and cytotoxic activities of synthetic products prepared within the collaboration that was taking place between UJI and CIB.

At the end of 2013 I started a new line of research in supramolecular organic chemistry, focused on the study of peptide derived molecular hydrogels for applications in catalysis, nanotechnology and biomedicine, with Professors J.F. Miravet and B. Escuder. At the beginning of 2014 I got the accreditation to University Associate Professor (Profesor Titular de Universidad) of the national agency of quality and accreditation evaluation (ANECA), but at that time I had difficulties to find a stable position in organic chemistry. For this reason, in September 2016 I moved to the Education Department of the University Jaume I as Assistant Professor (Profesor Ayudante Doctor), to focus on the didactics of experimental sciences.

Fortunately, in September 2019 I got a new position as Assistant Professor (Profesor Ayudante Doctor) in the Department of Organic Chemistry of the University of Valencia (UV), and one year later I promoted to Associate Professor (Profesor Titular de Universidad). Since then, I have been working with Professor C. del Pozo in asymmetric synthesis using tandem processes to obtain compounds of pharmacological interest.