Joel Villatoro

Joel Villatoro is an Ikerbasque Research Professor at the Faculty of Engineering, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), specializing in applied photonics and optical fiber sensor technology. He holds M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Optics from the National Institute for Astrophysics, Optics, and Electronics (Mexico, 1995 and 1999). His research focuses on interferometric sensors, biomedical applications, and advanced optical fiber technologies, with notable contributions to multicore and photonic-crystal fiber sensors. He has held positions at institutions such as ICFO (Spain), Aston Institute (UK), and Case Western Reserve University (USA).

Education:

• M.Sc. in Optics, National Institute for Astrophysics, Optics, and Electronics, Mexico (1995)
• Ph.D. in Optics, National Institute for Astrophysics, Optics, and Electronics, Mexico (1999)

Research Interests: Interferometric sensors, real-world environmental monitoring, micro/nano-biosensors, and fiber-optic sensor integration into industrial systems. His work emphasizes practical applications in aerospace, healthcare, and environmental sectors.

Key Contributions: Over 130 publications, 6 patents, and 2,500+ citations. His research bridges fundamental photonics with industrial applications, including sensor fabrication, multiparameter sensing, and additive manufacturing of embedded sensors.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Applied Photonics Group at UPV/EHU, focusing on prototyping and real-world sensor deployment.