Cristián Cuerva is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Inorganic Chemistry at Computense University of Madrid (UCM), and member of the MatMoPol research group. His work focuses on the synthesis and study of new nanomaterials and nanostructured metallomesogens based on coordination compounds, with applications in the fields of energy and biomedicine.

Cuerva graduated in Chemistry at UCM in 2012, and completed his professional career with a Master in Chemical Sciences and Technologies in 2013 (MSc Award). Four years later, he received his Ph.D. in Advanced Chemistry (European Mention; Outstanding PhD Thesis Award) by the same Institution. During this time, C. Cuerva opened two new lines of research working on stimuli-responsive luminescent liquid crystals and nanostructured Pd(II) and Pt(II) metallomesogens for technological applications, under the supervision of Prof. Mercedes Cano Esquivel and Prof. José A. Campo Santillana.

In 2018 he worked as Professor Collaborator Doctor at CEU San Pablo University (Madrid), and one year later he begun a new post-doctoral stage in the NOVA School of Science and Technology (NOVA University Lisbon), under the supervision of Prof. Carlos Lodeiro Espiño. During this last stage, it was demonstrated for the first time that luminescent Pt(II) metallomesogens can be used to build hollow nanoparticles for applications in biomedicine (cellular bioimage and drug delivery).

In February 2021, C. Cuerva returned at UCM as post-doctoral researcher in the MatMoPol research group, headed by Prof. Santiago Herrero Domínguez, with the aim of designing novel nanocarriers for hydrophobic anticancer drugs.

His contributions in inorganic chemistry have been published in international peer-review journals within the highest impact factor in its knowledge area, such as J. Mater. Chem. C, Inorganic Chem., Dalton Trans., Chem. Rev., Dyes Pigm. o Nano Res., among others. C. Cuerva has participated in several research projects, collaborated with several national and international universities and research centers, attended more than 25 international meetings, and has been member of the Organizing and Scientific Committees in more than 10 international scientific conferences. At present, he imparts teaching tasks of different degree programs, and participates in projects of innovation and improvement of teaching quality. Moreover, he combines his research and teaching activities with outreach activities (publication of articles, scientific news, and organization of talks).