As a child, Maria dreamed of becoming a private detective. She imagined herself following clues, observing details and solving mysteries. Ultimately, she found her calling in science: understanding how to separate and purify molecules. Modest by nature, she often prefers to remain in the shadows, conducting her investigative work as part of a collective pursuit of knowledge.
Originally from Asturias in northern Spain, Maria studied industrial chemistry at the University of Oviedo, where she also completed her PhD in process and environmental engineering. During this period, she spent time in France and abroad, including Nancy, Porto, and Virginia in the United States. These experiences taught her to work in a variety of environments, adapt, and cultivate an open mind.
In 1996, life presented her with a choice: a competition at the University of Oviedo or a position at the newly created École des Mines d'Albi. With her family, she began her career in Albi. Ten years later, she joined INSA Toulouse as a professor, taking up a position that better suited her interests: effluent recovery. Today, she teaches process engineering and participates in numerous other missions ranging from supervising students and doctoral candidates to managing the technical staff at theSOPHyE team, including responsibility for the IBERINSA international programme, which welcomes Spanish-speaking young people every year.
What does she like most about her job? Human contact. Maria emphasises the importance of paying attention to people, whether they are students or colleagues: ‘We all have different needs, and it is essential to recognise them.’ Her scientific expertise focuses on solid-phase separation processes, particularly chromatography. How to purify this ‘broth’ from a complex mixture and extract the purified molecule. A real scientific and industrial challenge for health and cosmetics.
Curious and passionate, Maria also has deep-rooted interests outside the laboratory. First and foremost is reading, which has been a part of her life since childhood. More recently, she has developed an interest in identifying birdsong and wild orchids. Whether in a lecture theatre, a laboratory or her garden, Maria continues to follow her guiding principles: observe with curiosity, do things as well as possible, and always be attentive to others.