Javier Gainza, awarded by CSIC for his doctoral thesis on thermoelectric materials

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The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), an organization under the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, has awarded Javier Gainza for the doctoral thesis he defended last year at the Materials Science Institute of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC), for which he also received the Margarita Salas Research Award. "I didn’t expect it," says the researcher, who is currently doing a postdoctoral stay at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble.

The awards recognize doctoral theses conducted and defended by CSIC researchers that have stood out for their quality and impact. "The aim is to highlight and support the work carried out by CSIC researchers to recognize and appreciate the tasks of supervising and training young professionals at our institution, the largest in the country dedicated to research," said Carmen Simón, director of DPE, during the award ceremony.

"The truth is, I am very grateful to CSIC for creating these awards, and also to the jury that evaluated my application," acknowledges Gainza. He adds: "Being recognized as the author of one of the most relevant theses of 2022 at CSIC, which in the end is the largest research organization in Spain, is both a source of pride and an honor."

The researcher, whose thesis was supervised by José Antonio Alonso along with Norbert Nemes and Federico Serrano and was titled Thermoelectric materials, chalcogenides and pnictides, with new phenomenologies: synthesis and characterization, assures that this recognition "is undoubtedly a perfect closure to an important stage of my career, as well as an extra motivation to continue with my scientific career and keep growing as a professional."

"It is truly appreciated that the work carried out over these years is valued so highly by your institution," continues the scientist. He also celebrates his time at ICMM-CSIC: "Apart from all the scientific knowledge I acquired during my stay at ICMM, one realizes that one of the keys to everything moving forward is teamwork," he says.

In his own words: "In the end, the thesis work is a sum of many contributions that would have been impossible to achieve individually," and he continues: "The fact of having an excellent working environment, as has been the case during all these years at ICMM, is also a key element in developing everyone's full potential."