The Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) will host three new PhD researchers through the prestigious INPhINIT doctoral fellowships awarded by the ”la Caixa” Foundation. These highly competitive fellowships aim to attract and retain outstanding international talent at leading research centres in Spain and Portugal.

As part of the 2025 call, the ”la Caixa” Foundation has awarded 60 doctoral and 40 postdoctoral fellowships to excellent researchers to carry out their projects. The programme not only provides competitive funding, but also offers comprehensive cross-disciplinary training in areas such as scientific communication, leadership, and career development .
 

The three doctoral researchers joining ICCUB will contribute to the institute’s research in fundamental physics, strengthening its activities in cosmology, gravitation, and theoretical physics.

International talent in fundamental physics
 

Mariami Mtchedlidze, from Georgia, will pursue a PhD in Particle Physics and Gravitation. Her academic path has been shaped by strong international experience, with studies in Tbilisi, Rome, and Bremen במסגרת the Erasmus Mundus Master’s programme in Astrophysics and Space Science. Her research interests focus on gravitational physics and cosmology, with the aim of fostering collaboration and innovation in these fields.

Nell Weidemann, born in Liège (Belgium), joins the PhD programme in Physics. Specialised in cosmology and the large-scale structure of the Universe, she completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the University of Liège with high honours. She aims to combine research and teaching, contributing to major open questions in physics while inspiring future generations.

Sebastián Nicolás Mendoza Vasconez, from Quito (Ecuador), will carry out his PhD in Physics with a focus on theoretical physics. He completed his undergraduate studies at Jacobs University Bremen and further specialised through the Mathematical Tripos (Part III) at the University of Cambridge. His interests lie at the intersection of quantum physics and gravity, particularly in holography, as well as in condensed matter physics, machine learning, and quantum information science.

A programme fostering research excellence
 

The ”la Caixa” Foundation fellowship programme is one of the most significant initiatives promoted by a private organisation in Europe, both in terms of the number of fellowships awarded and the breadth of disciplines covered. In this edition, more than €22 million will be allocated to doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships, co-funded by the European Commission through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND Actions .

With the incorporation of these three researchers, ICCUB continues to strengthen its international outlook and its commitment to excellence in cosmos sciences.
 

Óscar Jiménez Arranz, former ICCUB-IEEC doctoral student, has been honored with the Premi Extraordinari de Doctorat 2023–2024 in recognition of the outstanding quality of his PhD thesis. This award is granted annually by the University of Barcelona to graduates whose research demonstrates exceptional academic excellence and make significant contributions to their field.

Dr. Jiménez Arranz completed his PhD at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) under the supervision of Mercè Romero and former ICCUB Director Xavier Luri. His thesis, “Dynamical characterisation of the Magellanic Clouds with Gaia data and the KRATOS simulations”, focuses on the detailed dynamics of our closest neighbouring galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC), by combining the unprecedented astrometric dataset from the Gaia mission with advanced numerical simulations.

The award ceremony will take place on 28 April in the Paranimf of the Historic Building at the University of Barcelona, celebrating the achievements of doctoral graduates from the 2023–2024 academic year. Faculty members, fellow researchers, and family will join the event to recognize the remarkable accomplishments of the awardees.

The Extraordinary PhD Prize highlights both academic merit and research excellence. Following his PhD, Óscar Jiménez Arranz has continued his research career as a postdoctoral researcher at Lund University, further advancing the study of galactic dynamics.

We warmly congratulate Óscar Jiménez Arranz on this outstanding achievement and look forward to his continued contributions to astrophysics.

The University of Barcelona and the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation have honoured former ICCUB researcher Ivan Morera with the Ramon Margalef Award, recognizing his discovery of a new form of quantum magnetism known as kinetic magnetism. The award was presented on December 16th during the XXI Social Council Awards and XVIII Bosch i Gimpera Foundation Awards ceremony, held at the Aula Magna of the University’s Historic Building.
 

The Ramon Margalef Award distinguishes the best research article in the experimental and health sciences derived from a doctoral thesis. Dr. Morera’s work, carried out during his PhD thesis at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) and published in Nature under the title “Kinetic magnetism in triangular moiré materials”, reveals a previously unknown mechanism by which magnetism can be engineered in laboratory settings.
 

Unlike conventional magnetism, found naturally in materials such as iron and typically difficult to modify, kinetic magnetism can be created and controlled through the administration of electric charges. This discovery opens the door to new technological applications, potentially transforming fields such as quantum materials, spintronics, and next‑generation electronic devices.
 

Ivan Morera’s research demonstrates that triangular moiré materials can exhibit a new form of quantum magnetism, kinetic magnetism, which can be created in the laboratory through the administration of electric charges. This discovery opens new avenues for technological applications in the field of quantum materials.
 

The ceremony also highlighted outstanding contributions across the humanities, social sciences, technology transfer, and biomedical innovation, reaffirming the University of Barcelona and Bosch i Gimpera Foundation’s commitment to advancing knowledge with social and scientific impact.
 

Dr. Morera’s achievement stands out as a landmark in the field of quantum physics and exemplifies the high‑quality research carried out by emerging scientists at ICCUB.

If you missed the award ceremony, you can visualitze it here:
 

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) is pleased to announce that Domènec Espriu has been appointed as its new director. He will be joined on the executive board by Bruno Juliá as deputy director and Nadejda Blagorodnova as secretary, reinforcing the institute’s leadership team.

Espriu succeeds Xavier Luri Carrascoso, who directed ICCUB from 2018 to 2025 and recently assumed the directorship of the Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC). During the transition period, Atilà Herms served as interim director.
 

About the new director

Domènec Espriu is a full professor of theoretical physics at the University of Barcelona. He earned his PhD in Physics at UB and has developed a distinguished career in theoretical particle physics. His work has contributed to the understanding of chiral Lagrangians, low-energy QCD, and collider physics at LEP and LHC, among other topics. Beyond academia, Espriu served as Director of Spain’s State Research Agency (Agencia Estatal de Investigación) from 2022 to 2024, overseeing national R&D funding and policy.

Espriu’s extensive academic and leadership experience will strengthen ICCUB’s international collaborations, foster interdisciplinary research, and guide the institute in addressing the scientific challenges of the coming years.

Our thanks to Xavier Luri

Xavier Luri directed ICCUB from 2018 to 2025. A specialist in space missions and data analysis, Luri is a key contributor to the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission, which is mapping over a billion stars in our galaxy.

Under his leadership, ICCUB expanded its international partnerships, strengthened its visibility in European research networks, and fostered a new generation of scientists. His tenure was marked by a commitment to excellence and innovation, with the institute winning two consecutive Maria de Maeztu excellence awards that have positioned ICCUB as a reference center in particle physics, nuclear physics and astrophysics.

“Directing ICCUB has been a privilege”, says Xavier Luri. “I am proud of the progress we achieved together, and I am particularly happy of the many synergies that have aroused during my mandate between the different research areas of the institute. I am confident that under Domènec’s leadership, ICCUB will continue to thrive and meet the challenges ahead.”

Now, as he takes on the directorship of the IEEC, Luri passes the baton to Domènec Espriu, entrusting him with the responsibility of guiding ICCUB through new scientific challenges.

Supporting Espriu in his new role is Professor Bruno Juliá, deputy director of ICCUB. Bruno is a full professor in the Department of Quantum Physics and Astrophysics at UB, with a PhD from the University of Salamanca (2003). His research focuses on quantum simulators, ultracold atomic gases, and many-body quantum physics, with applications in quantum technologies and communications.

Nadejda Blagorodnova joins the ICCUB executive team as Scientific Secretary, bringing extensive academic expertise and leadership experience in international collaborations. She earned her PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Cambridge and has held research positions at Caltech and the University of Liverpool before joining ICCUB. Currently a researcher at ICCUB-IEEC, she leads studies on stellar mergers and transient phenomena, contributing to major projects such as BlackGEM and Gaia. In her new role, she will play a key part in strengthening the institute’s governance and fostering collaboration across research teams.

“It is an honor to lead ICCUB at such a pivotal time”, says Domènec Espriu. “Our mission is to deepen our understanding of the physical world fostering innovation in astrophysics, particle physics and cosmology. I look forward to working with our outstanding researchers to strengthen ICCUB’s role on the global stage.”

The event took place at the Plaça de Catalunya station of the Ferrocarrils and was attended by the president of FGC, Carles Ruiz Novella; the director of the ICD, Alba García Sánchez; the general secretary of the IEC, Àngel Messeguer i Peypoch; the vice-rector for Equality, Inclusion and Gender of the UB, Montserrat Puig Llobet; the vice-rector for Culture, Memory and Heritage of the UB, Agustí Alcoberro Pericay; the president of the Science and Technology Section of the IEC, Alícia Casals Gelpí; researchers from the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the UB and the Faculty of Physics of the UB, and relatives of Assumpció Català.
 

The christening of the train marks the final stretch of the commemorative events for the centenary of the birth of Assumpció Català i Poch, which began in February with an event in the University's Historical Building, where Català was a professor of Mathematics and Astronomy. On July 14, coinciding with the exact date of her birth, the central event was held at the Montsec Astronomical Park, where the largest telescope has been named after Català since 2016. The Astronomical Park, managed by FGC, has also dedicated this year's Astronomy Festival to the figure of the astronomer.

During today's christening ceremony, the travelling exhibition on the figure of Català i Poch, which has been prepared by the ICD, was also visited on the platform of via 5 in Plaça de Catalunya. The exhibition will be moved from tomorrow to the Espai Provença of FGC (Provença station: access via Carrer de Rosselló, 219, on the corner with Balmes), where it can be visited until December 19, from Monday to Friday, from 9:00 to 19:00.
 

In addition, on November 27, three exhibitions related to the figure of Assumpció Català will be inaugurated at the Faculty of Physics of the University of Barcelona: a virtual one, entitled "Assumpció Català and the University of Barcelona. A pioneering trajectory in the university and scientific world"; one from the M. Asunción Català Poch Collection of the CRAI Library of Physics and Chemistry, and another on historical astronomy instruments. On the other hand, the biographical comic book Assumpció Català, la dona que estimava les estrelles (Edicions UB) will be published shortly, with illustrations by Pilarín Bayés and texts by Ramon Dilla, professor of Art History at the UB.

The centenary of the Catalan Assumption is part of the Government's commemorations for 2025, which annually decides on the events and personalities to be commemorated by the Generalitat de Catalunya. The aim is to highlight, recover and disseminate the memory of these events and personalities that have left their mark on the collective heritage.

Assumpció Català i Poch (Barcelona, ​​14 July 1925 - 3 July 2009) was the first woman to obtain a doctorate in Mathematics from the University of Barcelona. She did so in 1970, and ended up becoming a professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at the same University. She also carried out systematic observations of sunspots for over thirty years and represented Spain in the International Astronomical Union.

The Royal Spanish Academy of Sciences (RAC) has announced the election of two new members during its latest plenary session. Elena Vázquez Cendón joins as a full member of the Mathematics Section, while Javier Menéndez Sánchez has been appointed as a corresponding member of the Physics and Chemistry Section.

Javier Menéndez is a nuclear theorist and research professor at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB), where he is part of the Hadronic, Nuclear and Atomic Physics group. 

Menéndez’s research focuses on nuclear theory at low energies, aiming to understand the structure of atomic nuclei from first principles. His work involves solving complex quantum many-body problems rooted in quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the fundamental theory of strong interactions. A central theme of his research is the study of exotic nuclei and their role in answering some of the most profound questions in physics.
Recently, Menéndez has expanded his research to explore quantum computing as a tool for solving the quantum many-body problem, opening new avenues for simulating nuclear systems with unprecedented precision.

The RAC’s recognition of Javier Menéndez as a corresponding member highlights his contributions to nuclear physics and his leadership in bridging theoretical models with experimental efforts worldwide. It also reflects the excellence of ICCUB researchers in advancing fundamental science and tackling the big questions about the nature of the universe.

The ICCUB warmly congratulates Javier Menéndez on this prestigious appointment.

Twenty one researchers from the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) have been included in the latest edition of the Stanford ranking of the world’s most cited scientists, a recognition that highlights the global impact of their scientific work in the field of physics and astronomy.

The ranking, compiled by Stanford University, identifies the top 2% of scientists worldwide according to bibliometric indicators such as the number of citations, h-index, co-authorship-adjusted index, and citations to papers across different authorship positions. It includes two categories: one based on career-long impact and another reflecting influence during the past year.

Among the UB researchers listed in the 2024 edition, 21 belong to ICCUB, confirming the Institute’s position as a leading center for research in astrophysics, cosmology particle physics and fundamental physics.

The ICCUB researchers featured in the ranking are:
Francesc Salvat, Friedrich Anders, Mark Gieles, Héctor Gil-Marín, Kazushi Iwasawa, Raúl Jiménez, Jordi Miralda, Pablo Bueno, Pablo Cano, Jorge Casalderrey, Roberto Emparan, Jaume Garriga, Cristiano Germani, Adrià Gómez-Valent, José Ignacio Latorre, David Mateos, Javier Menéndez, Alessio Notari, Xavier Roca-Maza, Joan Solà and Licia Verde.

Their inclusion in the Stanford list underscores the international visibility and scientific excellence of ICCUB’s research, spanning topics from galaxy formation and cosmic structure to particle physics and gravitation.

The University of Barcelona is the Spanish university with the largest number of research staff in this group of leading scientists, with numerous researchers from across its faculties and institutes. The full list of UB researchers included in the Stanford ranking is available on the University of Barcelona news website.

Francesc Sabater, a graduate of the Master’s in Quantum Science and Technology, has been awarded the Jordi Porta i Jué Prize by the Societat Catalana de Física - Institut d'Estudis Catalans for his master’s thesis titled “The Fermionic Tonks-Girardeau Gas: Composite Boson Formation and a Novel Formulation of the Ground State Wave Function.”

The award was presented during the 63rd edition of the prize ceremony, held on Sant Jordi’s Day, and included talks by researchers Crina Cojoracu (UPC), Francesc Díaz González (URV), Jordi Miralda Escudé (ICREA-ICCUB-SCFIS), and Salvador Ribas i Puig (UB).

Sabater’s work explores theoretical aspects of strongly interacting fermionic systems, focusing on the emergence of composite bosons and proposing a new approach to describing the ground state wave function. The thesis was recognized for its relevance to current research in low-dimensional quantum gases.

The Jordi Porta i Jué Prize, established in 1962, is awarded annually to a master’s thesis with a strong physics component, completed at a university in a Catalan-speaking region. The prize includes a financial award of 1,500 euros, with the possibility of two additional honourable mentions of 750 euros each. Recipients and their academic supervisors receive a certificate of recognition.

Congratulations!

The Simons Foundation has announced its support for research at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences (ICCUB) to delve into the intricate relationship between geometry and turbulence in astrophysics and beyond. This funding marks a significant milestone as it is the first time the Simons Foundation is directly funding research in Spain or southern Europe.

ICREA Research Professor Raul Jimenez will lead this ambitious project, which aims to unravel the complexities of cosmic phenomena through the lens of geometry. The research will primarily focus on astrophysical contexts, seeking to provide deeper insights into the turbulent and complex nature of the cosmos.

The collaboration will bring together esteemed scientists from the Simons Flatiron Institute, the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, and ETH Zurich in Switzerland. This international partnership underscores the global significance of the research and the collaborative effort to advance our understanding of the universe.

The funding provided to the ICCUB is equivalent to an ERC senior grant and will be utilized to support PhD students and postdoctoral researchers at the institute. This investment in young researchers is expected to foster innovation and drive forward the scientific exploration of cosmic complexity.

Following the recent award of the Unit of Excellence Maria de Maeztu to the ICCUB, this new funding from the Simons Foundation further consolidates the institute's position as a leading research centre. The ICCUB is proud to be among the first recipients of funding from a prestigious US research institution, highlighting its commitment to excellence and pioneering research.

More about the Simons Foundation:

The Simons Foundation’s mission is to advance the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences.
Since its founding in 1994 by Jim and Marilyn Simons, the foundation has been a champion of basic science through grant funding, support for research and public engagement. We believe in asking big questions and providing sustained support to researchers working to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

More about Raul Jimenez:

Raúl Jiménez (Madrid, 1967) obtained his PhD at the Niels Bohr Institute in 1995, then moved to the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh were he held a PPARC Advanced Fellowship. He then went to the US where he joined the faculty of the Physics & Astronomy departments of Rutgers and the University of Pennsylvania. He joined ICREA in Sept 2007. He was a Radcliffe fellow at Harvard in 2015-2016. Among his main contributions to our understanding of the Universe: the first evidence of dark energy from the ages of high redshift galaxies and globular clusters, the origin of dark galaxies, the first clue of how galaxies are assembled as a function of time, the first determination of the expansion history of the Universe, the role of cosmic explosions in the survival of exolife, the role of symmetries in the universe, a lower bound to the cosmological constant and a new model of the universe based on quantum information theory and gravity.

The Nuclear Physics European Collaboration Committee (NuPECC) Long Range Plan 2024 outlines the goals and strategic research directions for the future of Nuclear Physics in Europe. The document, developed with contributions from nearly 6000 scientists and engineers across Europe, will be unveiled today, November 19, 2024 at the “Presentation Symposium of the NuPECC Long Range Plan 2024” at the University Foundation in Brussels.

The Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) has taken part in shaping the Strategic NuPECC Long Range Plan. Members of the Hadronic, Nuclear, and Atomic Physics group have participated in panels that have defined the future of the discipline. Javier Menéndez was a member of the Thematic Working Group on Nuclear Structure and Reaction Dynamics, whereas Arnau Rios was in the Thematic Working Group Nuclear Science - People and Society.

“The NuPECC Long Range Plan is the most relevant strategic document for the nuclear physics community in Europe. It is a huge undertaking, planning the research landscape of our field for the next 7 years. Contributing to this plan was a great honour and a responsibility for us” says Arnau Rios.

The electronic version of the Plan will be accessible on the NuPECC website: http://www.nupecc.org.