María Tomás Gamasa

María Tomás Gamasa is a Ramón y Cajal Researcher at the Center for Research in Sustainable Chemistry (CIQUS) of the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), Spain. She has been affiliated with CIQUS since 2015, progressing from Juan de la Cierva grants to her current prestigious Ramón y Cajal position held since 2022.

Her educational background includes:

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of Oviedo (2006)
• Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Oviedo (2011) under Prof. J. Barluenga and C. Valdés
• Predoctoral research at University of Bristol (Prof. V. K. Aggarwal) and University of Montreal (Prof. A. Charette)
• Postdoctoral research at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (2011-2014) under Prof. Thomas Carell

Dr. Tomás Gamasa pioneers bioorthogonal chemistry with groundbreaking work integrating photochemical activation into cellular environments. Her research develops light-triggered transformations that enable precise chemical reactions within living cells without disrupting biological processes. This innovative approach bridges synthetic chemistry, chemical biology, and photopharmacology to advance cellular imaging and targeted therapeutic delivery systems.

Her scientific honors include:

• Extraordinary Doctoral Award (2011)
• Humboldt Fellowship during postdoctoral research

As principal investigator, she has secured competitive funding including Juan de la Cierva grants (2015-2019) and a Young Researchers Project (JIN, AIE) since 2019. She actively contributes to the Mascareñas/López/Gulías research group at CIQUS, which focuses on sustainable chemical methodologies and innovative applications in biological systems. Her work has been featured in institutional highlights including light-enabled compound synthesis within living cells.