Cristina Canal
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
Biography
Cristina Canal is Full Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), where she leads the PlasmaMedLab (Plasmas for BioMedical Applications Laboratory) that is part of the Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering Group (BBT), and currently serves as Director of the UPC Doctoral School.
She obtained her degree in Chemical Sciences from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, a Master’s degree in Drug Research and Development from the Universitat de Barcelona, and a PhD in Textile Engineering from UPC. Following research appointments in several national and international laboratories, including the CNRS in France, she established an interdisciplinary research programme at the interface of biomaterials, plasma science and biomedical engineering.
Her research focuses on cold atmospheric plasmas for biomedical applications, biomaterials and tissue engineering, plasma-enabled cancer therapies, regenerative medicine, and advanced biomaterial surface modification. She has led numerous national and European research projects, including the ERC Starting Grant APACHE and ERC Proof of Concept TRANSFORMER projects, aimed at developing plasma-based therapies for bone cancer and tissue regeneration. Her work has been recognised through several distinctions, including the L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science Award, the ICREA Acadèmia Award and the Plasma Medicine Award.
RSC journal affiliations
Associate Editor, Biomaterials Science