Biography and previous work

I was born in the city of Morelia, in Mexico. I first studied Chemical Engineering, and later, for a Master's degree in Metallurgy and Materials Sciences, obtaining an honourable mention. The area of study during my Master’s was Advanced Ceramics, with my dissertation titled Synthesis and Characterization of Ceramic Films for Self-Cleaning Applications. Different methods of synthesis were used, such as sol-gel and electrophoretic deposition (EPD), as well as the culture of E. coli strain XL1BLUE to determine the effect of the materials on the bacteria. Materials were characterized using SEM, TEM, XRD, UV-vis, IR, XPS, and also some mechanical properties such as nanodurity. I have taught at university level, and have had the opportunity to present research results at conferences within Mexico and internationally.

Current Work

My interest in the University of Sheffield comes from a few years ago, when I met professors who had studied here and they told me about the excellent quality and high educational level offered here. Later, I became interested in not only working in one field but as a multidisciplinary scientist, which is when the Natural Materials Group took on a special importance for me, as here, I can apply my knowledge of materials science to understanding the properties of natural materials. I will do so by analysing both the environment and certain families of the animal kingdoms, specifically those that produce polymers that humanity can use to treat current global problems. My Ph.D. research will focus on understanding, measuring and characterising fluids from snails and invertebrates, and proposing the mechanisms of action and reaction of these substances under different conditions.

Personal interests

My hobbies and interests include oil painting, reading science fiction and horror books, sports and working with groups of people where the task is to teach and share knowledge.