Two young scientists INMA achieve prestigious postdoctoral fellowships from the La Caixa Foundation for STEM disciplines
José Miguel Luque Alled and Zsuzsa Baranyai receive funding for their projects, which are focused on advances to extract lithium and recycle batteries and in the search for a more accurate and effective treatment against a very aggressive type of brain cancer
The Foundation has only awarded 20 grants for centres of excellence in Spain and Portugal to researchers of any nationality with lines of work centred on life sciences, experimental sciences, physics, chemistry, engineering, technology and mathematics
Zaragoza, 10 April 2025. Zsuzsa Baranyai and José Miguel Luque Alled are two young researchers from the Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA), a joint centre of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza (Unizar), who have won two of the Junior Leader postdoctoral grants from the Retaining 2025 call of the La Caixa Foundation. These grants, which are highly prestigious in the field of junior scientists, are aimed at young people with postdoctoral careers and their objective is to retain this talent by supporting the establishment of their own lines of research and the leadership of scientific teams in centres of excellence in Spain or Portugal. In this call only 20 grants have been awarded, to which candidates of any nationality were eligible, and the INMA has managed to take two of them.
Zsuzsa Baranyai (Debrecen, Hungary, 1987) is a CSIC scientist who is part of the Bionanosurf Group of INMA and works in a crucial line of research to advance against a type of brain tumour by applying nanomedicines type Swiss army knife to treat glioblastoma.
Glioblastoma is a highly aggressive brain cancer with limited therapeutic options. Although nanomedicine can deliver drugs to the tumour, it faces barriers such as short stability in blood, the blood-brain barrier and the dense tumour matrix. ‘Our strategy proposes multifunctional nanoparticles designed as a Swiss army knife, incorporating an inert coating to increase their time in circulation, molecules that facilitate their entry into the brain, and the ability to shrink in size to pass through the tumour matrix. This approach optimises drug delivery and improves the efficacy of treatment against this difficult-to-treat cancer,’ explains Baranyai.
In the case of José Miguel Luque Alled (Barcelona, 1992), he belongs to the Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technologies (IQTMA) at the University of Zaragoza. His line of research focuses on one of the chemical elements of the present and the future: lithium. This substance has proved to be vital for society due to its use in the manufacture of batteries, in medicine and in food, playing a key role in the energy transition to achieve sustainability objectives. ‘The project proposes a new approach based on membrane technology to efficiently recover lithium from natural sources (e.g. salt brines) and spent lithium batteries,’ explains Luque Alled. ‘By developing new advanced materials and applying nanotechnology, we aim to develop processes that are more efficient than conventional methods. Our goal is not only to optimise lithium extraction, but also to minimise the environmental impact by simultaneously obtaining purified water and lithium, reducing energy consumption and the use of toxic chemicals. This represents a key step towards a circular economy model applied to the life cycle of batteries,’ he adds.
Lithium is key to making high-performance rechargeable batteries, essential in mobile phones, electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. These batteries are the foundation of modern technology and play a key role in the transition to a sustainable energy model away from fossil fuels. Ensuring access to and recycling of lithium is therefore key for a sustainable technological future. Today, more than 95% of batteries are not recycled, which generates waste and wastes resources. Accelerating its production and recycling helps to avoid shortages, reduce external dependence and stabilise its price.
Up to €320,000 spread over three years of research
This call is excellent in terms of its objectives and the conditions it offers researchers. It focuses on STEM disciplines (life sciences, experimental sciences, physics, chemistry, engineering, technology and mathematics) and offers coverage for up to 3 years, plus a maximum total award of €320,100.
In order to win one of these scholarships, there has been an evaluation by international experts. The selection process consisted of a first phase of project and CV evaluation, and a second phase in which applicants faced an interview with other experts in the field.
This grant provides independence as a researcher and allows you to develop your own line of work at an early age for a research career. Scientists of all nationalities are eligible, although the chosen projects must be carried out in a Spanish or Portuguese university or research centre. This is a way of retaining talent and promoting independent scientific careers as a future career option, as well as contributing to innovation in order to bring advances to society and to leadership.
In this edition, 450 scientists from all over the world applied, with a selection rate of 4.78%. Of those who have achieved a grant, 7 are Spanish, 5 Portuguese, 4 Italian, 1 from Germany, 1 from Hungary, 1 from Indonesia and 1 from Poland.
Contact:
José Miguel Luque, jose.luque@unizar.es
Zsuzsa Baranyai, zsuzsabaranyai@unizar.es
10-04-2025
