DR. MANUEL PLAZA
EDUCATION AND KEY QUALIFICATIONS
18/11/2018 PhD in Synthesis and Chemical Reactivity
Faculty of Chemistry / Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry (University of Oviedo, Spain.)
PhD supervisor: Prof. Dr. Carlos Valdés
2014 Master in Chemistry and Sustainable Development
Faculty of Chemistry / Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry (University of Oviedo, Spain)
2013 Bachelor in Chemistry
Faculty of Chemistry / Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry (University of Oviedo, Spain)
Current position
2024 – Current day Ramón y Cajal Fellow – Assistant Professor
Faculty of Chemistry / Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry (University of Oviedo, Spain)
Previous positions
2021 – 2023 Margarita Salas Junior Group Leader
Faculty of Chemistry / Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry (University of Oviedo, Spain)
2019 – 2021 Postdoctoral researcher (Research group: Prof. Dr. Thorsten Bach)
Faculty of Chemistry / Department of Organic Chemistry (Technical University of Munich, Germany)
Predoctoral Fellowships
F.P.U. PhD fellowship. 2016. Funding agency: Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Host Institution: University of Oviedo. Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry. Reference: FPU15/03670. Dates start-end: 1/9/2016 – 13/11/2018.
Severo Ochoa PhD fellowship. 2014. Funding agency: Fundación para el Fomento en Asturias de la Investigación Científica Aplicada y la Tecnología (FICYT). Reference: BP14-016. Dates start-end: 28/11/2014 – 31/8/2016.
Scholarship for the Retention of Young Talent at the University of Oviedo (Master degree). 2013. Funding agency: CajAstur and University of Oviedo.
Postdoctoral Research Grants
“Leonardo” Grant. 2025. Funding agency: BBVA. Host Institution: University of Oviedo.
Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry. Dates start – end: 01/05/2025 – 31/11/2026.
“Ramón y Cajal” Grant. 2023. Funding agency: Spanish National Research Agency (AEI). Reference: RYC2022-035485-I. Host Institution: University of Oviedo.
Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry. Dates start – end: 01/02/2024 – 31/01/2029.
“Comienza” Grant for Emerging Research Groups. 2023. Funding: University of Oviedo. Reference: PAPI-23-GR-COM-04. Host Institution: University of Oviedo.
Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry. Dates start – end: July, 2023 – May, 2024.
“Margarita Salas” Junior Group Leader Grant. 2021. Funding agency: Fundación para el Fomento en Asturias de la Investigación Científica Aplicada y la Tecnología (FICYT). Reference: AYUD/2021/58397. Host Institution: University of Oviedo.
Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry. Dates start – end: January, 2021 – December, 2023.
awards
Thieme Chemistry Journals Award 2024. Public interview available: https:/brnw.ch/21wNgrZ
Top-10 Best Scientific Articles of 2022 (Chem. Sci. 2023, 14, 650-657), 2023 (Chem. Sci. 2023, 14, 13765-13775) and 2024 (Chem. Sci. 2023, 14, 19626-19633) by the Asturian Division of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry.
ChemComm Poster Prize (Chemical Communications) at the “XXVI Reunión Bienal de Química Orgánica de la Real Sociedad Española de Química”. 2016.
Invited lectures
2025 International Conference on Photochemical Technology and Industry. Wuhan (China). October, 2025. Invited plenary lecture.
I Spanish Junior Leaders in Synthesis and Catalysis. Murcia (Spain). September, 2025. Invited lecture.
2025 Young Investigator Workshop. Copenhagen (Denmark). June, 2025. Invited lecture.
2024 International Conference on Photochemical Technology and Industry. Wuhan
(China). October, 2024. Invited plenary lecture. https://icpi2024.scimeeting.cn/en/web/index/23635_1996797__
Indo-Taiwan Symposium on Chemistry for Sustainable Societal Applications (hybrid
online/in-person congress). Vellure (India). July, 2024. Invited online lecture.
Light-Up Symposium: Illuminating Drug Discovery. Oviedo (Spain). July, 2024.
Invited lecture.
Conference Cycle of the Master of Organic Chemistry at the Autonomous University of
Madrid. Madrid (Spain). April, 2024. Invited lecture.