Victor Pardo Castro

Victor Pardo Castro is an Associate Professor at the Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Physics, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC). He holds a PhD in Physics from USC (2006), with a thesis on first principles studies of cobalt oxides. His research focuses on ab initio calculations of quantum materials, including transition metal oxides, interfaces, and their electronic, magnetic, and thermoelectric properties. He has held postdoctoral positions at institutions like UC Davis and was a Ramón y Cajal Fellow (2012–2016).

Education: BSc in Physics (USC, 1997–2001), PhD in Physics (USC, 2006). Postdoctoral research at USC (2006–2007), UC Davis (2007–2011), and TU Wien (2004–2006).

Research: Specializes in computational materials science, particularly in designing functional materials using ab initio methods. Key areas include topological phases in oxides, thermoelectric materials, and magnetism in layered systems. His work bridges theory with experimental validation, contributing to understanding quantum phenomena like charge ordering and phase transitions.

Supervision: Advised numerous students, including PhD candidates like Alberto Piñeiro Rodriguez (2013) and Antía Sánchez Botana (2013), and MSc students such as José Luis Lado Villanueva (2013) and Pablo Villar Arribi (2015). Current group members include Adolfo Otero Fumega and Jan Phillips.

Membership: Part of the Materials Institute (iMATUS) and the Strategic Grouping in Materials (AEMAT). Research group: LABSIS Systems Laboratory.