Alicia Castro

Prof. Alicia Castro is a Research Professor at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), affiliated with the Institute of Materials Science of Madrid (ICMM). She holds a Ph.D. in Solid State Chemistry from Complutense University, Madrid (1984). Her career includes roles as Tenured Scientist (1991–2003), Senior Researcher (2003–2009), and Research Professor (2009–present).

Her research focuses on the synthesis, processing, and properties of advanced materials, particularly piezoelectric oxides, layered perovskite structures, and ionic conductors. She pioneered methods like mechanochemical activation and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) to develop functional nanostructured ceramics.

As Principal Investigator, she led 9 national (including MICINN and CSIC projects) and 9 international projects (e.g., collaborations with IBM, CNRS, and Moroccan institutions). She has advised 5 PhD students and 10 MSc students across universities in Spain and France. Her work includes over 150 SCI-indexed articles and 170 conference presentations, with numerous invited talks.

Her lab facilities include specialized labs for thin film preparation, ceramics synthesis, and characterization of functional properties like magnetoelectric effects and piezoresponse force microscopy.