The Royal Galician Academy of Sciences (RAGC) has awarded CiQUS researcher Francisco Rivadulla the Antonio Casares Rodríguez Medal in the field of Chemistry and Geology. The distinction recognises his internationally recognised research career, developed mainly in Galicia, in the fields of solid-state chemistry and condensed-matter physics.
Rivadulla, Professor of Chemistry at the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, leads a research group focused on functional oxides, thermoelectric materials, magnetic properties and thermal transport. His work combines fundamental research with the development of new materials and experimental techniques, establishing an internationally recognised research line from Galicia.
“I am honoured to receive this medal from the Galician Academy of Sciences, which bears the name of Antonio Casares, one of the founders of chemical research in Galicia,” says Rivadulla. “I would like to share this recognition with the members of my research group, as well as with CiQUS and the Department of Physical Chemistry at USC, for their support in developing ambitious research projects in solid-state chemistry over the years.”
A career in research and scientific training
After earning his PhD from USC in 2001, Rivadulla carried out research stays in Argentina and the UK before joining the University of Texas at Austin as a Fulbright postdoctoral researcher in the group of Nobel Prize-winning chemist John B. Goodenough. He returned to USC as a Ramón y Cajal researcher in 2004.
Throughout his career, he has secured competitive funding from European, national and regional programmes, including an ERC Starting Grant and an ERC Proof of Concept , the first awarded to the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela.
His research has resulted in around 150 scientific publications and two patents, with contributions appearing in journals including Nature Materials , Nature Communications , Advanced Materials , Angewandte Chemie , Nano Letters , Journal of the American Chemical Society and Physical Review Letters .
Beyond his research, Rivadulla has played an important role in developing scientific capabilities in Galicia. His group introduced advanced techniques for the synthesis and characterisation of materials that were previously unavailable within the region's research system, while also contributing to the training of new generations of researchers.
Three Antonio Casares Medals at CiQUS
With this distinction, Francisco Rivadulla joins two other CiQUS Principal Investigators who have previously received the Antonio Casares Rodríguez Medal: José Luis Mascareñas , recognised in 2019, and Diego Peña , who received the award in 2024.
The recognition of three CiQUS Principal Investigators with the same distinction highlights the breadth and impact of the research carried out at the centre, as well as its contribution to advancing chemistry and training new generations of researchers in Galicia.
The medal will be presented on 8 October during the Día da Ciencia en Galicia ceremony, which will take place at the Colexio de Fonseca in Santiago de Compostela.
CiQUS holds the María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence accreditation and the CIGUS recognition awarded by the Xunta de Galicia. The centre also receives financial support from the European Union through the Galicia FEDER 2021–2027 Programme.