The PhD thesis was supervised by Núria Aliaga Alcalde, from the Functional Materials and Surfaces (FunNanoSurf) Group and Concepción Domingo Pascual, from the Solid State Chemistry (SSC) Group at ICMAB-CSIC. The PhD Committee that evaluated the Thesis was formed by Maria Rosa Aguilar de Armas, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Polímeros (ICTP-CSIC) (President), Mónica Giménez Marqués, Instituto de Ciencia Molecular (ICMol) (Secretary), and Silvia Gómez Coca, Instituto de Química Teórica y Computacional (IQTC)(Vocal).

Laura Rodríguez’s PhD thesis was part of the PhD Programme in Chemistry from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).

From left to right: Silvia Gómez-Coca, Mónica Giménez-Marqués, Núria Aliaga-Alcalde, Laura Rodríguez-Cid, Concepción Domingo, Maria Rosa Aguilar de Armas

Why did you choose the ICMAB for your PhD?

ICMAB is the research center where the laboratories of the research groups involved in the project are located.

How would you explain your research to a non-scientific audience? 

I try to do new materials connecting organic molecules and organic molecules and metals forming infinite structures.

What are the main applications of your research? Could you give us an example?

They can be used in multiple fields such as electronics, gas and molecule storage, drug transport and delivery…

From the lessons learnt here, which one do you value the most?

Surround yourself with good people and even bad days will be good.

What will you miss the most from ICMAB?

The people.

How do you think this experience will contribute to your training and to your future? 

I believe that the doctorate teaches you to have a critical mind and solve problems, which is useful in any aspect of life.

What are your plans once you finish your PhD?

I am already working in the R+D department of a company.

What do you wish you had known at the beginning of your PhD, that now you can recommend to the ones who are starting?

Ask yourself what is the most important to you (work environment, relation with the people, number of articles, be heard and feel important...) and choose the research group according to that (having everything is complicated) because you are going to spend more than 8 hours a day, 4 years of your life.

Why did you become a scientist? Which have been your role models? 

I have always been a very curious person and I have always liked to know why and how things happened. That is why I have always liked science since school. In high school I had a very good chemistry teacher, which made me very interested in that field.

Which is your favourite female scientist? And why?

Katherine Johnson. She achieved the recognition of all her colleagues based on effort despite having a double barrier, being a woman and also African-American.

Describe in 3 keywords… 

• Your research: coordination polymers, organic polymers, curcuminoids
• Barcelona: diverse, beautiful, lifeful
• Your experience at ICMAB: knowledge, self-confidence, friends

More information and photos.