Gema Martínez-Criado, Director of Research

Cuban and Spanish.  Ph.D. in Physics.

Gema Martínez-Criado studied physics at the University of Havana in Cuba and holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Valencia, Spain. In 2002, she joined the ESRF as a post-doctoral researcher on hard X-ray microscopy. She was subsequently appointed to the position of second scientist at the ESRF hard X-ray microprobe beamline ID22. In 2009, she was named ESRF permanent scientist in charge of the beamline ID22. As part of the ESRF Upgrade Programme Phase I, from 2009 to 2014, she was involved in the design and construction of the hard X-ray Nanoprobe ID16B for X-ray nanoanalysis as scientist in charge of the beamline.

In 2016, Gema moved to the Materials Science Institute of Madrid (ICMM) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), where she held the position of senior scientist.

Gema's research explores fundamental and application-oriented aspects of condensed matter using hard X-ray micro and nanobeams. She has more than 100 publications to her name as well as several book chapters and reviews.

Gema returned to the ESRF on 1st January 2022 as Director of Research for Condensed Matter and Physical and Material Sciences.