Dr José Manuel de Cruz Sánchez wins a CERCA Pioneer Award 2022 for his doctoral thesis

by Virginia Greco

He carried our research on graphene-based devices for cell bioelectronics at the ICN2 in the Advanced Electronics Materials and Device Group. The prize was awarded on December 22.

Dr José Manuel de Cruz Sánchez, currently a system engineer at INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, has been assigned a CERCA Pioneer Award 2022 for his PhD thesis titled "Graphene devices for cell bioelectronics". He carried out his thesis work within the ICN2 Advanced Electronic Materials and Devices Group, under the supervision of senior researcher Dr Elena del Corro García and group leader ICREA Prof. Jose Antonio Garrido. The award was conferred in a ceremony held on December 22 and chaired by Prof. Joaquim Nadal, the Counsellor for Research and Universities of the Catalan Government and President of CERCA.

The jury of the CERCA Pioneer Awards considered that the thesis presents results in which graphene-based electrodes, thanks to their stability, biocompatibility and extraordinary electrical capabilities, are extremely valuable tools for in-vitro and in-vivo neuroscience studies. In addition, INBRAIN Neuroelectronics is interested in this technology for the development of future devices.

The jury was composed of: Nadia Pons, Head of Corporate Development at Nuage Therapeutics; Núria Martí, Director of Innovation at Biocat; Daniel Gonzálvez, Investment & Portfolio Manager of The Collider programme at Mobile World Capital Barcelona; Julià Manzanas, Regional Business Development Manager for Southern Europe at AREOPA Group International and President of the Knowledge Economy and Innovation Committee of the Col-legi d'Economistes de Catalunya; and Joan Sansaloni, Head of the Industrial and Intellectual Property unit at ACCIÓ.