Prof. Katherine Villa and Prof. José A. Berrocal have been appointed as ICREA Research Professors, joining one of the most prestigious scientific communities in Catalonia. With their addition, ICIQ now hosts 11 ICREA researchers.
ICREA appointments recognise scientific excellence and grant researchers the freedom to pursue long-term, high-impact research without teaching or administrative obligations. The positions are permanent and equivalent to tenured posts, with ICREA scientists expected to contribute actively to strengthening and advancing the Catalan research landscape.
Prof. Villa highlighted its importance for her career and her group’s scientific direction. “This is a great honour and an important recognition of my scientific career and of the work carried out by our research group. This position will provide the stability and freedom needed to pursue our long-term scientific vision.”
Prof. Berrocal welcomed the appointment as both recognition and responsibility. “I accept this appointment with great honour. I see it as recognition of everything our group has achieved so far, and also as a responsibility for what the group will produce going forward. I hope that, as an ICREA researcher, I will be able to expand our network of collaborations and develop new joint projects.”
The importance of research in sustainability
Prof. Villa leads research on nanostructured photocatalytic systems based on multicomponent heterojunctions designed to convert pollutants into valuable chemicals and fuels. Her group also develops light-driven micro- and nanorobots that display autonomous motion, environmental sensing, and tuneable chemical activity, enabling applications in water purification, selective chemical transformations, and photodynamic therapy. Altogether, her research advances EU priorities in clean energy, water decontamination, and health.
Prof. Berrocal’s research focuses on stimuli-responsive polymers, materials that change their properties when exposed to external triggers such as heat, light, mechanical force or chemical reagents. By designing tailored macromolecular architectures and applying tools from organic and polymer chemistry, his group seeks to understand and control how these materials behave, contributing to the development of smarter and more efficient functional materials.
About ICREA
ICREA, the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, is a foundation supported by the Catalan Government. Created to strengthen the competitiveness of the Catalan research system, it recruits exceptional scientists worldwide and integrates them into universities and research centres across Catalonia. Today, ICREA employs over 300 researchers in 48 host institutions, promoting excellence, international collaboration and equal opportunities.
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