Prof. Dr. María Luján Ferreira | Nanocomposites | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Dr. María Luján Ferreira is a distinguished Senior Researcher at the Pilot Plant for Chemical Engineering (PLAPIQUI), National University of the South (UNS), and a member of CONICET, Argentina. With over 4,254 citations, 171 scientific documents, and an h-index of 35, she has made enduring contributions to catalysis, polymerization chemistry, enzymatic processes, and nanotechnology. Her prolific research spans olefin polymerization, catalyst design and characterization, enzyme immobilization, nanozymes, biomimetics, and advanced oxidation processes. Prof. Dr. María Luján Ferreira has authored over 165 international journal articles, 9 book chapters, and 2 books, including Enzymatic Synthesis of Structured Triglycerides (Springer, 2017) and Trastornos del Espectro Autista (2021). She is also the Editor of the Elsevier volume Biocatalyst Immobilization: Foundations and Applications, contributing several chapters. Her applied R&D work includes technology transfer projects with industrial partners such as Petroquímica Cuyo and Petrobras, resulting in numerous technical reports, services, and a patent under evaluation (INPI, 2018). She has led or participated in 35 funded research projects, including TWAS, Antorchas Foundation, PICT, PIP, CABBIO, CYTED, and CNPQ collaborations, bridging Argentina, Brazil, and Europe. Prof. Dr. María Luján Ferreira has mentored numerous PhD and postdoctoral researchers, several of whom now hold senior research positions at CONICET. Her international collaborations include work with research groups in Canada and Brazil. A reviewer for more than 30 journals, she also evaluates national and international funding proposals and coordinates CONICET thematic commissions. Her research excellence has been recognized with five major awards, including the Bernardo Houssay and Ranwell Caputto National Prizes (2004) and the L’Oréal-CONICET Mention (2014). Through sustained scientific innovation and mentorship, Prof. Dr. María Luján Ferreira continues to advance interdisciplinary catalysis, nanoscience, and biotechnological applications with significant industrial and biomedical relevance.