image: Dr. Diego Peña Gil | The RAGC Research Medals recognize exceptional careers in science and technology, as well as the leadership of scientists who carry out their work at research centers in Galicia.
Credit: CiQUS
Diego Peña Gil, Principal Investigator at CIQUS, has been awarded the Antonio Casares Rodríguez Medal by the Royal Galician Academy of Sciences (RAGC) in recognition of his outstanding scientific career. The Academy has emphasized that "he is undoubtedly one of the most promising researchers in Galicia in the field of Chemistry," highlighting his pioneering work in opening a new field of research that combines Organic Chemistry with Surface Science to address complex scientific problems such as the manipulation of individual molecules or the development of new molecular materials.
Peña's work, in collaboration with scientists from various countries, has been published in high-impact journals such as Science and Nature Chemistry, contributing to advances at the frontier of chemistry and physics. "I am deeply honored to receive the RAGC Medal, especially bearing the name of one of my scientific mentors, Professor Antonio Casares, a pioneer of research in Galicia," said Peña. "I am very grateful to the academics for this distinction, which actually recognizes the work of an entire research group and scientific collaborators".
The RAGC Research Medals recognize exceptional careers in science and technology, as well as the leadership of scientists who carry out their work at research centers in Galicia. This is the second time that a CIQUS researcher has received the Antonio Casares Rodríguez Medal; in 2019, José Luis Mascareñas, the center's scientific director, was honored in the first edition of these awards. The medal ceremony will take place on October 8th, as the central event of "Galician Science Day," in the Paraninfo of the University of Santiago de Compostela, at 12:00 pm. There, Diego Peña will receive his distinction alongside economist Santiago Lago and computer science and artificial intelligence professor Alberto Bugarín, also from the USC, Pedro Arias from the University of Vigo, and Antonio Figueras from the Marine Research Institute of the CSIC.