es

María Ventura Sánchez-Hornero

Dr. Maria Ventura is a researcher with extensive expertise in catalysis and materials synthesis, complemented by five years of experience in biotechnology. Over the past nine years, she has worked in prestigious international research centers, shaping her strong interdisciplinary research profile focused on developing innovative technologies to valorize waste materials. She made her PhD from the University of Alcalá and completed research stays at the University of Lisbon and Eindhoven University, where she specialized in water-stable organometallic compounds and their application as homogeneous catalysts under green chemistry principles. Her research contributed to two subsequent doctoral theses and three research projects. Following her PhD, she was awarded a prestigious contract from the Japanese government to work at Hokkaido University's renowned Catalysis Center under Prof. Tamotsu Takahashi. This experience laid the foundation for her work on industrially relevant processes. Dr. Ventura then shifted her focus to biomass valorization, joining Prof. Michele Aresta's group at the University of Bari, Italy, where she developed new heterogeneous catalysts for converting biomass into valuable chemical platforms. Her work there was recognized as an early example of producing key platform chemicals under mild conditions using low-cost metals. In recognition of her contributions, she received the Young Researcher Award in Green Chemistry (Unesco-IUPAC-Phosagro), supporting her research on waste valorization at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Spain. After that she has earned a prestigious Marie-Curie fellowship at Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC). There, she successfully developed an innovative combination of catalytic and biotechnological processes to treat urban bio-waste. She after holds a research position in the EU-funded BIOCTANE project, integrating biological and chemical techniques to produce jet fuel-range hydrocarbons. Currently, she is lecturer at URJC and actively contributes to the university's bio-chemical waste valorization research.

Dr. Ventura has published 31 peer-reviewed papers (28 in Q1 journals, 7 as corresponding author), with 6 more in progress, alongside 2 book chapters, 10 technical reports, and 23 conference presentations. With an H-index of 15 and i10-index of 19, she has participated in 20 research projects, serving as PI in 2 and work-package leader in 6. She is Spain's representative in the PurpleGain Cots, holds 4 patents and is currently coordinating the UpCycle Marie-Curie doctoral network.

Passionate about science dissemination, she has given 17 talks, participated in the 11F movement, mentored young researchers, and won Alcalá University's science dissemination contest. She has supervised 9 undergraduates, 4 master's students, 2 PhDs, 8 postdocs, and 9 casual researchers, many of whom have excelled under her guidance. Currently she is the supervisor of 2PhD thesis.

Research profiles: 

URL Web: María Ventura Sánchez-Hornero URJC

Keywords: Catalysis, valorization, biomass, multidisciplinar.