This morning the University of Antwerp conferred an honorary doctorate on CIC biomaGUNE’s Ikerbasque Research Professor Luis Liz-Marzán “in recognition of his expertise in the synthesis, characterization and application of plasmonic metal nanoparticles”. According to University of Antwerp professor Sara Bals –Professor Liz-Marzán's nominator–, “Luis has been a pioneer and a leading scientist in his field”. The Belgian institution also emphasizes that “Liz-Marzán's research is facilitating the early detection of diseases”.

The University of Antwerp set out the reasons for honoring the CIC biomaGUNE professor: He is recognized worldwide as an expert in the application of colloidal nanoparticles for nanoplasmonics. He has been one of the pioneers in colloidal synthesis and characterization of metallic nanoparticles. Liz-Marzán has specialized mainly in the control of the morphology of these nanoparticles, which allows their optical properties to be optimized. In addition, he is well-known for his expertise in nanoparticle self-assembly. Much of his recent work is related to the medical applications of nanoparticles, such as controlled drug delivery and early disease detection. His interdisciplinary research may have a real impact on our society. “What I admire most about Luis is that he has been able to translate basic science into real breakthroughs in many areas,” Bals added.

Although Liz-Marzán has received multiple awards and recognitions for his work, this is his first honorary doctorate and “its significance is somewhat different. When I was told that I was going to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Antwerp, I was surprised first of all. It was a great, unexpected honor and it took me a while to realize what it meant,” said Liz-Marzán. “This distinction is of particular value because I have a close friendship and great colleagues in Antwerp. In fact, I believe that our fruitful collaboration over the past ten years justifies the nomination and is one of the reasons for awarding me this title,” he said.

In these 10 years, CIC biomaGUNE’s Ikerbasque Research Professor Liz-Marzán and Professor Bals of the University of Antwerp have published more than 60 joint papers in the best journals in the field (including Science, Nature Materials, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, Nature Communications, Journal of the American Chemical Society, ACS Nano, Nano Letters, Advanced Materials).