With an unconventional and multidisciplinary scientific background (Pharmacy BCs, 2001 and Material Science Ph.D, 2005; University Complutense of Madrid, Spain), her pioneered PhD work (awarded with PhD distinction) was focused on porous materials for bone replacement and drug release. She then (2005) joined the Institut Lavoisier-France, as CNRS researcher, initiating a totally new field, the biomedical application of MOFs. Since 2016, Dr. Horcajada is Senior Researcher and the Head of the Advanced Porous Materials group in IMDEA Energy (Madrid, Spain). Her current research activity is focused on the development of new porous materials with advanced functionalities, from their synthesis design and specific shaping/formulation to their application in diverse industrial and societal strategic fields, including energy, environment and health.
Along her career, she has been awarded with several prizes and awards (e.g. Ada Byron 2023, Young Doctoral de Alcala 2023, Silver Medal of the International Association of Advanced Materials 2023, Female Talent from the Spanish Royal Society of Sciences 2022, Young Researchers Leading Groups from the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry 2020, Leonardo award 2017, Miguel Catalan 2016, CNRS Scientific Excellence Prize 2011-2014).