Eliseo Ruiz

Eliseo Ruiz is a Full Professor and group leader of the Electronic Structure group at the University of Barcelona. Since 2018, he has been Head of the Institute of Computational and Theoretical Chemistry, which received Spain's María de Maeztu Excellence Award in 2019. His three-decade career at UB includes progressive appointments from Assistant to Full Professor, alongside international postdoctoral research in France, Canada, and the UK.

His educational background includes:

• Chemistry degree (1988), University of Barcelona
• Physics degree (1991), University of Barcelona
• PhD in Chemistry (1993), University of Barcelona (supervised by Prof. Santiago Alvarez)

Ruiz is internationally recognized for developing theoretical frameworks to study magnetic properties in molecular systems. His seminal work on spin-crossover phenomena, exchange interactions, and magnetic anisotropy in single-molecule magnets has generated highly influential publications. Recent research expands into Molecular Spintronics, focusing on room-temperature magnetoresistance in molecular devices, complemented by experimental work on magnetic complex synthesis and characterization.

His major honors include:

• María de Maeztu Excellence Award (2019) as Institute Head
• Real Sociedad de Química Research Prize (2017)
• ICREA Academia Award for Excellence (2013)
• Catalan Distinction for Young Scientists (2003)

Through the Electronic Structure group and Institute leadership, Ruiz mentors researchers and secures significant funding including the Molecular Spintronics COST Action (2016-2018). He spearheaded development of UB's computational infrastructure, enabling advanced theoretical chemistry research. His expertise is shared globally through specialized training sessions across Europe.

Ruiz directs both the Electronic Structure research group and the Institute of Computational and Theoretical Chemistry, driving interdisciplinary collaborations that bridge theoretical modeling with experimental synthesis of magnetic materials.