Dr. Carla Casadevall, associate researcher at ICIQ and group leader at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, has been named one of the five finalists for the 2026 Princesa de Girona Scientific Research Award. The announcement of the winner—researcher Rafael Luque from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía—was made official this Tuesday during the central event of the Tour del talento, the Princess of Girona CongresFest. The event took place at the Víctor Villegas Auditorium and Congress Center in Murcia, presided over by H.M. the King.
In this edition, the Princesa de Girona Foundation received more than 400 nominations from all over the country. The jury responsible for deliberating and selecting the winning candidate was composed of a committee of internationally renowned experts and academics.
With this recognition, Dr. Casadevall joins a prestigious community within the organization with a major international profile. “Being a finalist is a significant milestone that validates years of effort and research in chemistry and sustainable energy. It is a recognition shared with my entire team and a future boost to continue transforming science into real and sustainable solutions”, stated Dr. Casadevall.
Specializing in sustainable energy conversion, Dr. Casadevall focuses her research on developing photocatalytic technologies inspired by photosynthesis to produce clean fuels and chemicals from solar energy.
The ultimate goal of her research at URV and ICIQ is to help close the carbon cycle through CO₂ transformation, providing real solutions for the decarbonization of the economy and boosting key sectors such as the chemical industry and environmental sustainability.
Trained at the Universitat de Girona, where she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and a Master’s degree in Advanced Catalysis and Molecular Modeling, she has built an outstanding international career, including research stays at leading centers such as the University of Cambridge, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and the Max Planck Institute.
Her line of research focuses on bio-inspired systems, such as polymeric microreactors and artificial membranes, capable of replicating natural processes like photosynthesis to improve the efficiency and selectivity of chemical reactions. This approach is reflected in the BIOPOLE project, which proposes a new generation of photocatalytic systems based on artificial compartmentalization to optimize key processes in the fields of energy and chemical synthesis.
Throughout her career, she has published more than 40 scientific papers and secured over 2.7 million euros in competitive funding, highlights of which include the prestigious ERC Starting Grant (2025) and the Leonardo Fellowship from the BBVA Foundation.
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