The Centre for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) at the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC) has welcomed Cristóbal Pérez as a new principal investigator through Oportunius, a flagship programme of the Xunta de Galicia aimed at attracting and consolidating outstanding research talent.
With this appointment, CiQUS further reinforces its role as a leading hub for scientific talent in Galicia, hosting nine of the programme’s 25 researchers and becoming its largest institutional beneficiary. Pérez’s incorporation was formally announced this week at an event attended by Galicia’s Regional Minister for Education, Science, Universities and Vocational Training, the Director of the Galician Innovation Agency (GAIN), and CiQUS Scientific Director.
A strategic boost for advanced molecular instrumentation
An internationally recognised expert in physical chemistry and molecular spectroscopy, Cristóbal Pérez has made significant contributions to the development and application of advanced instrumentation for probing the structure and dynamics of complex molecular systems.
Moving from the University of Valladolid, he will establish his research group at CiQUS while coordinating the transfer of his laboratory, opening a strategic new line in cutting-edge molecular instrumentation and analysis.
Throughout his career, Pérez has been awarded some of the most competitive fellowships in European science, including Juan de la Cierva and Ramón y Cajal contracts, an Ikerbasque Research Fellowship, an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship and a Beatriz Galindo Senior grant. He has also held research stays at the University of Virginia and the Max Planck Institute.
In 2023, he secured an ERC Consolidator Grant for HYDROCHIRAL (2024–2029), a project that will now continue at CiQUS to explore the role of water in chiral recognition processes—an important challenge at the interface of chemistry and biology.
New capabilities and collaborative opportunities
The project will also bring pioneering experimental capabilities to the centre. “Rotational spectroscopy, with its extraordinary sensitivity to molecular structure, opens the door to collaborations with research groups requiring precise structural determination,” says Pérez.
Beyond advancing his own research programme, he aims to foster collaborations across CiQUS, engage with Galicia’s innovation ecosystem and strengthen already active international networks.
HYDROCHIRAL will also introduce state-of-the-art instrumentation in rotational spectroscopy and create new opportunities for interdisciplinary research. “We have developed innovative methods to detect molecular chirality, providing detailed information about the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in molecular systems—an essential aspect in asymmetric synthesis,” he adds.
International talent at the frontiers of knowledge
Cristóbal Pérez’s arrival further enhances the international profile of CiQUS, its ability to attract highly competitive researchers and its commitment to interdisciplinary science at the frontiers of knowledge.
CiQUS holds the Xunta de Galicia’s CIGUS accreditation, recognising the quality and impact of its research, and receives financial support from the European Union through the Galicia ERDF 2021–2027 Programme.
Image: C. de Educación, Ciencia, Universidades y Formación Profesional - Xunta de Galicia