Plenary Lecture 1: How to Unlock the Industrial Uptake of Reprocessable Thermosets through Dynamic Covalent Chemistry
Dr. Filip Du Prez is a Full Professor at Ghent University, Belgium, and leads the Polymer Chemistry Research Group, which focuses on three main areas: sequence-controlled polymers, dynamic and circular thermoset materials, and the functionalization of renewable polymers.
He earned his Ph.D. in 1996 under the supervision of Prof. Eric Goethals and completed postdoctoral research at Lehigh University (USA) and Montpellier (France). Dr. Du Prez has published over 350 peer-reviewed articles, contributed to more than 10 book chapters, and holds 15 patent applications. He has received several prestigious grants, including the ERC Advanced Grant from the European Research Council.
His team of about 20 researchers has received over 25 awards in the past five years. He is a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts, and serves as Associate Editor of Polymer Chemistry (RSC).
Plenary Lecture 2: Functional and Sustainable Solutions for Water Purification and the Removal of Emerging Contaminants
Dr. Silvina Cerveny holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Buenos Aires. She is currently a Researcher at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). With over 20 years of experience, her research focuses on the dynamics and structure of water and its interactions with polymers, biopolymers, and organic molecules.
She is a board member of the International Dielectric Society and Deputy Director of the Materials Physics Center in San Sebastián, Spain.
Plenary Lecture 3: Polyelectrolytes: Versatile Tools for the Design and Engineering of Smart Materials
Dr. Sergio E. Moya holds a degree in Chemistry from Universidad Nacional and a Ph.D. from the University of Potsdam, Germany. He completed postdoctoral training at the Collège de France and the University of Cambridge, UK, specializing in soft matter nanotechnology.
He worked at the Center for Applied Chemistry in Saltillo, Mexico, and currently leads a research group at CIC biomaGUNE. He has held adjunct and visiting professorships at universities in China and Europe, as well as the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Since 2025, he has also been an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand.
His research focuses on the use of polyelectrolytes and nanomaterials for drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, sensors, filtration membranes, and the study of nanomaterial interactions with biological systems.
Plenary Lecture 4: Design of Functional Polymeric Composites for 3D Printing
Dr. María José Abad López holds a degree and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Santiago de Compostela, specializing in Applied Physics. She began her academic career in 1997 at the University of A Coruña (UDC).
Her research is centered on Polymer Science and Technology, within UDC’s Polymer Group. Since 2001, her work has focused on polymer processing, rheology, and conductive polymers.
She currently coordinates the Polymer Group and is the Technical Director of the Plastics Laboratory at UDC’s Center for Technological Research. Dr. Abad has an extensive background in research, knowledge transfer, and innovation. She has supervised seven Ph.D. theses and co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
Plenary Lecture 5: Advances in Bio-based Polymers: Harnessing Lignocellulose Nanofibers for Sustainable Materials Innovation
Dr. María Soledad Peresin holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Universidad Nacional del Litoral and a Ph.D. in Forest Biomaterials from North Carolina State University (NCSU). Her academic and research career has focused on developing renewable and sustainable materials from natural polymers.
She is currently an Associate Professor at Auburn University, where she leads the Sustainable Bio-based Materials Laboratory. Her background includes a postdoctoral fellowship and several research positions at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
Dr. Peresin has received numerous awards and led multiple internationally funded research projects. She has authored over 75 peer-reviewed publications and holds several patents related to advanced biomaterials.
