A research lab at ICTA-UAB
Meet the team
Core team members
Cristina Madrid López
Team leader
I am the director of this group of wonderful people that is the LIVENLab and an environmental scientist by training. With my work, I seek to understand how we can make the energy transition truly sustainable, defining methods to understand the complex relations that guide the socio-ecosystems (and put them in a script!). More specifically, I explore how to model the impacts of future energy scenarios. My current research studies the impacts of wind energy, develops non-linear (time and region dependent) cycle impact assessment methods, and assesses the role of geopolitical relations in the energy transition in Spain. My side research line explores how citizen science can be inserted in educational curriculums in primary and secondary schools. Using pilot projects of water reuse and measurement, we assess the changes the environmental perceptions of children and teenagers. I am also part of the industrial ecology community and serve as a board member of our international society, the ISIE.
Miquel Sierra-Montoya
PhD student
I am a PhD student at ICTA-UAB assessing the social and environmental impacts of the energy transition, with a particular focus on wind energy technologies. In the LIVEN Lab, I develop parameterized life-cycle inventory models for wind energy, aiming to create more flexible and up-to-date inventories. My research also involves disaggregating life-cycle inventories to distinguish on-site and off-site impacts of wind power deployment and other energy technologies. Additionally, I work in the development of ENBIOS, on coupling energy system optimization models with sustainability assessments to identify bottlenecks in future energy systems that rely heavily on wind power and to explore the challenges of integrating large shares of renewables into the electricity grid. Before joining the group, I conducted research in biosensors and in-vitro diagnostics and completed an MSc in Industrial Ecology. In my free time, I enjoy sports, chess, hiking, and reading thriller novels.
Alejandro Caballeros Finkelstein
PhD student
I am PhD student at LIVEN Lab, where I work on the development of Calliope Spain for the ETOS project about the externalization of the energy transition in Spain. I specialize in the analysis of displaced environmental impacts, energy vulnerability and strategic material criticality. My background is in economics, and I am interested in interdisciplinary analysis in the energy transition to propose sustainable scenarios for our future energy system. In my native Mexico, I worked as a Public Policy Consultant on energy and security projects for the Mexican and American governments and as a junior Investigator at the Energy and Natural Resources ITAM Center doing research on energy security and the impacts of the Sargassum algae in the state of Quintana Roo.
Cristina Pérez-Sánchez
PhD student
I am a PhD student at ICTA-UAB, where I study how diverse energy transition pathways—ranging from large-scale renewable projects to energy communities—affect rural vulnerability in Spain, and how this vulnerability, in turn, shapes the success of these pathways. I aim to adopt a transformative research approach, collaborating with practitioners and social movements to co-create knowledge and drive transformative change. Before embarking in the PhD, I was a technician at ICTA’s LIVEN-Lab, managing the participatory processes of research projects focused on the socio-environmental impacts of energy transition. My training includes a degree in Environmental Sciences at the Autonomous University of Madrid and a master’s in Interdisciplinary Studies on Sustainability at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. I have also participated in diverse social and environmental movements. I love hiking, reading, and plants.
Alexander de Tomás
PhD candidate
I am a PhD student at ICTA-UAB researching how to improve the modelling of the energy transition. I contribute to the development of ENBIOS, linking it with energy system models such as Calliope and TIMES. I also collaborate on the ETOS project, where I model the Spanish energy system using open-source tools. Previously, I worked on the SEEDS project, focusing on Portugal’s energy transition and contributing results to a web app for scenario design. I am passionate about modelling and exploring how different perspectives shape the structure of models, influencing decision-making. Outside of research, I enjoy martial arts, coffee, and hiking.
Yoana Kisyova
PhD candidate
I am a PhD candidate at ICTA-UAB and a Joan Oró predoctoral research fellow at the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI). My research examines the geopolitical implications of the energy transition, exploring how the global dynamics could influence the pace of the transition. At LIVEN Lab, my work is related to the development of a geopolitical vulnerability index which aims to encompass the most relevant geopolitical factors affecting the energy transition of the case study of Spain. By measuring a country’s susceptibility and exposure to certain vulnerabilities, we can inform and promote more resilient national energy and climate policies. Prior to that, my background included research roles at ICTA-UAB and IBEI, as well as experience in diplomatic and policy-making settings. I hold a Master's degree in International Relations from IBEI and a Bachelor's degree in Politics and East European Studies from University College London (UCL). In my free time, I enjoy singing, doing ceramics and good coffee.
María Cassinello Toscano
Research technician
I am a research technician at LIVEN Lab, where I work in the project Ciencia ciudadana y sostenibilidad en el territorio de la B30 (CCS-B30). This is a citizen science project focusing on raising awareness of children and teenagers over the use of resources (water and organic waste) through educational projects and measuring the impact of these projects on the students. My work includes, among other tasks, the collaboration with schools for the co-creation and management of the projects or the elaboration of formative content for teachers and the general public, available in Zenodo. I have a background in Law from the Carlos III University of Madrid and an MSc in Interdisciplinary Studies in Sustainability from UAB. I am particularly interested in combining research on sustainability issues with direct social changes expressed in tangible impacts. I enjoy playing music, dancing, reading and hiking.
Samuel Marot
Research technician
I am a research technician at the LIVEN Lab, specializing in sustainability assessment of energy models, using the MuSIASEM tool to produce social, environmental, technical and economic indicators for scenarios. I have worked on the SEEDS project, producing tailored indicators for a diversity of stakeholders to design energy pathways rooted in justice principles. Currently my work spans from characterizing the implications of energy import and displacement of impacts in scenario analysis, to creating socioecological metrics for holistic impact assessment of wind farms. My interdisciplinary mindset stems from a background in Mechanical Engineering and an MSc in Ecological Economics from the UAB. I am also a teacher for an introductory course on the climate crisis (at the University of Glasgow), and an energy consultant for the Bascule Coop organization. In my free time, I enjoy surfing, climbing and going to music events with friends.
José Daniel Cruz Ugalde
Group Manager
I serve at LIVEN Lab as a group manager, enabling the team to work in a coordinated and frictionless way. I hold an MSc in Industrial and Urban Ecology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Costa Rica. I have six years of experience in project management roles at FMGC, consulting, and research organizations, and hold certifications such as Project Management Professional (PMP) and SCRUM Master. In addition, I collaborate with Eurecat, the Technology Centre of Catalonia, as an Advanced Researcher in Sustainable Impact, focusing on Life Cycle Assessment and Digitalization. I love playing the guitar, exploring mountains, and playing racquet sports.
Laura Pérez Sánchez
Postdoctoral researcher
I am a postdoctoral researcher at LIVEN Lab, where I explore energy transitions integrating the framework of societal metabolism (MuSIASEM) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). I study the relationship between technology and social issues and am interested in the lock-in of existent stocks to social practices and resource use, the implications of trade, and the nexus and trade-offs of dimensions in socio-ecological systems, including energy, other materials and time use. I work within the fields of ecological economics and industrial ecology (MFA, IOT, LCA). Previously, I worked within the IASTE team at ICTA-UAB and visited University of Leiden (NL). When I am not working, I like going to concerts, reading and hiking.
Collaborators
Jesus Ramos
Inés Campos
Stefan Pfenninger
Alumni
Nikki Harasta
Research assistant
I was a research assistant at LIVEN Lab, where I worked with the JUSTWIND4ALL project contributing to the creation of metrics and tools for understanding the socioecological impacts of offshore wind energy in Europe. My work focused on integrating an ecosystem service assessment framework with life cycle assessment (LCA) and social metabolism metrics (MuSIASEM) within the broader energy-decision model, ENBIOS. I have a BSc of Biology from Seattle Pacific University and an MSc of Ecological Economics from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) with a background in marine conservation policy and marine protected area assessment. My research interests include sustainable marine policy, nature inclusive design, and nature-based solutions within the context of the renewable energy transition.
Camilo Jose Ruiz Morales
Research technician
I was a research technician at LIVEN Lab, where I worked on mapping the impacts generated by the energy transition in Spain, integrating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Geographical Information System (GIS). I am originally from Colombia, where I completed a postgraduate course in Environmental Planning and Integral Manage of Natural Resources, I started my professional career in the construction sector, then as a consultant in remediation projects, and was also part of a team in charge of cartography and development of a multipurpose national cadaster. I enjoy outdoor activities such as traveling, hiking and sailing, or being at home with my plants.
Ramin Soleymani
Software engineer
I was a software engineer at LIVEN Lab. I have worked in research on developing planning strategies for wireless sensor networks at the University Duisburg-Essen and worked as a Creative Technologist at the Berlin-based Service Design Agency IXDS. I was also a freelance software developer, educator, and artistic researcher and a community organizer for a digital art community in Berlin and in Barcelona. I was initiator and co-organizer of Science Hack Day Berlin, a community-run Hackathon for Citizen Science and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Science. Before joining the LIVENLab group, I worked in ERC project LICCI and two associated Proofs of concept, working on Indigenous Peoples contribution to climate change research and policy and Indigenous Data Sovereignty.