The L’Oréal-UNESCO ‘For Women in Science’ program has recognized Isabel Abánades Lázaro, a researcher at the Institute of Molecular Science (ICMol) of the University of Valencia, with one of the ‘Research Awards’ in Spain. These awards, each endowed with €15,000, honor the work of five outstanding young scientists. The jury highlighted Abánades’ research on the development of advanced nanomaterials for applications in cancer treatments and polluted water purification.

Isabel Abánades’ project aims to develop new nanosystems for targeted drug delivery and water decontamination using multifunctional porous materials known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Her pioneering method enables the modification of these materials in a single step with active drugs, significantly simplifying a process that has traditionally required multiple complex stages.

In the field of cancer treatment, her approach allows for a more stable attachment of the drug to the material and the incorporation of targeting ligands on the surface, directing the treatment specifically to tumor cells, thereby improving efficacy and reducing side effects. For water treatment, the project will develop methodologies to control the pore size and chemistry of MOFs, enhancing the absorption of pollutants such as nitrates, and will produce cost-effective, efficient, and recyclable materials to improve water quality.

Isabel Abánades Lázaro (Guadalajara, 1992) is a Ramón y Cajal researcher at the Institute of Molecular Science (ICMol) of the University of Valencia, where she leads the group Defect Engineering of Responsive Advanced Materials. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Glasgow (2018), and her research focuses on defect engineering in MOF structures for applications in catalysis, drug delivery, water treatment, and gas storage. Among other honors, she has received the Young Talent of the Valencian Community award and was selected to participate in the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.

Created in 1998 and present in over 110 countries, the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science program has recognized more than 4,100 scientists since its inception, including renowned Spanish researchers Margarita Salas and Ángela Nieto. The national edition of the awards in Spain, which has highlighted the research of five young scientists each year for the past 19 years, has supported a total of 92 awardees with over €1.4 million in funding.

Filed under: Chemistry, Technological Sciences, Medical Sciences

Marketing y Comunicación
Olga Denia Moreno