MSc (with honors) and PhD (Cum Laude) from the University of Utrecht (NL). In 2002 he moved to Spain as a NWO TALENT fellow with Javier de Mendoza, followed by another postdoc at the University of Amsterdam (NL) working with Joost Reek. He also held various scientific positions in the industry at Avantium and Hexion. In 2006, he returned to Spain as an ICREA Researcher and ICIQ Group Leader, and was promoted to ICREA Research Professor in 2011. He is current member of several advisory (ChemCatChem, Adv. Synth. Catal., ASC Sust Chem Engin) and editorial boards (ChemSusChem, Org. Chem. Front.). He chaired the CDCC-1 conference in Portugal in 2016, and was chair of the EUGSC-4 conference in 2019; Associate Editor for Green Chemistry (RSC). Citations >20500, h-index of around 77. He received the 2020 RSEQ and 2023 SCQ Excellence Awards, the EuChemS Green & Sust Chem Award in 2023, and the Rafael Usón Medal (GEQO) in 2025. He is a FRSC since 2021. 

The research of my group focuses on the valorization of small molecules (including CO2) into value-added chemicals and materials. We design new and more sustainable catalytic methods for their conversion and use in organic synthesis. We use homogeneous catalysis approaches based on metal complexes and/or organocatalysts, and investigate important process features such as catalyst recycling, energy/material efficiencies and overall selectivity/reactivity profiles. In all these endeavors, we wish to solve challenging stereoselective and enantioselective transformations including those focusing on the preparation of compounds featuring challenging quaternary stereocenters. Further to this, we use a variety of approaches to facilitate these transformations among which are photocatalysis, radical chemistry and computational analyses (in collaboration).