Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering and Bioprocesses
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Roberto I. Canales is an Assistant Professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. He earned his B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María in Valparaíso, Chile, where he conducted research on solid solubility in supercritical CO₂. He received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame in the USA, focusing on the recovery of organic solvents from ionic liquids using CO₂ at moderate pressures. He later completed his postdoctoral training at the Laboratory of Thermodynamics at TU Dortmund University. His research combines experimental and molecular thermodynamics to address challenges in separation processes and green engineering.
Assitant Professor
Department of Chemical Engineering and Bioprocesses
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Nicolás F. Gajardo-Parra is an Assistant Professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. He received his B.S. and M.Sc. in Engineering Science from the same institution and completed his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 2024 at TU Dortmund University in Germany. His research lies at the intersection of thermodynamics, separation processes, biocatalysis, and molecular modeling, with a emphasis on the design and application of neoteric solvents. His group investigates the physicochemical properties of novel solvent systems and their potential in sustainable chemical processes, including enzymatic catalysis and green separations.
Esteban Cea-Klapp holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from UDEC, with expertise in thermodynamic modeling, molecular simulations, and the design of sustainable solvent systems. His research focuses on deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for green chemical processes, integrating multiscale modeling and computational tools to predict thermophysical and interfacial properties. Esteban’s work bridges molecular insights with process-level applications, contributing to the development of efficient and environmentally friendly technologies for CO₂ capture and biomass valorization.
Sebastián holds a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the Universidad de Santiago de Chile (2017) and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. His research focuses on recovering methoxyphenols from bio-oil using COSMO-RS predictions, environmental indicators, and process simulations validated by experiments.
Chemical Engineer interested in reducing raw material and energy consumption, as well as polluting emissions, through the application of process analysis tools. With over 10 years of experience, he has conducted chemical process evaluation and design, technical and economic prefeasibility studies in various industries such as ethanol, cane sugar, petroleum refining, detergent production, waste-to-energy, and the production of green hydrogen derivatives.
Javiera Molina is a Pharmaceutical Chemist from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Engineering and Sciences with Industry with Nestlé. Her research, co-supervised by Sylvain Faugeron, centers on optimizing the extraction of proteins from seaweed using DES, for their application in food
Vanesa received her B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the Universidad Tecnológica de La Habana “José Antonio Echeverría” in December 2021 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences, with a focus on Chemical Engineering and Bioprocesses, at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Supervised by Professor Roberto Canales, her research focuses on developing strategies for the extraction and purification of aroma compounds from fermentation broths.
Cristóbal has a B.Sc in Engineering Sciences with a major in Biological Engineering and a minor in Process Engineering. His interests focus on research and experimental development of green technologies, aiming to design and optimize sustainable processes with industrial-scale impact through scientific and engineering strategies
Francisca holds a B.Sc. in Engineering Sciences with a major in Biological Engineering and a minor in Process Engineering. Her academic interests focus on process development and sustainable innovation, with a particular interest in the design and optimization of chemical systems that contribute innovative solutions to environmental challenges through interdisciplinary approaches.
Felipe Guzmán-Arce obtained his B.Sc. degree in Natural and Mathematical Sciences (College UC), with a double major in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chemical Engineering, along with a minor in Process Engineering. His research is based on the in situ extraction of aromas produced through yeast-based fermentation, in order to simulate and optimize processes.
Maximilian is a M.Sc. student in Chemical Engineering at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, with a background in Chemical Engineering and a Minor in Process Engineering. He is interested in using data to support better decision-making in product and process development, with a focus on efficiency, sustainability, and safety.
Graduate students, postdoctoral associates & fellows, research scientists
Natalia Fuentes (Graduate, Ph.D @ UC)
Nicolás Durán (Graduate, M.Sc @ UC) → Process Engineer @ CCU
Arturo Bastías (Graduate, Ph.D @ UC)
Andrés Arroyo (Graduate, Ph.D @ UC) → Project Leader in Bioprocess R&D @ UNAB
Paulo Aravena (Graduate, M.Sc @ UC) → R&D Engineer @ ABIO
Joaquín Meruane (Graduate, M.Sc @ UC) → Associate @ Boston Consulting Group
Sebastián Carreño (Graduate, M.Sc @ UC) → Head of Business Intelligence @ Blue Express
Bruno Sepúlveda Orellana (Graduate, M.Sc @ UC) → Global R&D Project Manager Senior @ NotCo
Matías Campos Franzani (Graduate, M.Sc @ UC) → Head of Product Management @ COPEC
Vincenzo Cotroneo Figueroa (Graduate, M.Sc @ UC) → Senior Project Engineer @ COPEC
Nicolás Gajardo-Parra (Graduate, M.Sc @ UC) → Assistant Professor @ UC
Research Laboratory
