Cristina Rodriguez Nunez

Cristina Rodriguez Nunez is a Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at the School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of the West of Scotland. She serves as Programme Leader for the MSc Sustainable Technology program with specializations in Energy, Environment, and Management.

• Chartered Chemical Engineer
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA)
• External Examiner at Bahrain Polytechnic (2025→)

Research Focus: Active researcher in sustainability domains, particularly biofuel production from waste and microalgae biorefineries. Her work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and emphasizes:

• Waste-to-energy systems
• Algal lipid extraction
• Carbon capture technologies
• Biorefinery integration
• Process optimization for renewable energy
• Environmental restoration applications

Publications demonstrate consistent output in biofuel production (2012-2025) with particular emphasis on microalgae processing, solvent extraction techniques, and waste valorization. Recent work explores industrial scalability of biorefinery systems and environmental applications.

Scientific Recognition:

• Excellent Poster Presentation Award (2012)
• UWS PhD Scholarship (2014)
• Vice-Chancellor's Innovation Fund - Team Award (2020)

Academic Engagement: Peer reviewer for Chemosphere journal, chair of EPSRC Peer Review College (2023), and active member of multiple professional networks including the Institution of Chemical Engineers and Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre.