Full professor

J.A. Proenza is a full professor of the Department of Mineralogy, Petrology and Applied Geology at the Universitat de Barcelona, and coordinator of the research group “Mineral Resources for the Energy Transition (MinResET)”. His current research program includes: i) the petrological, geochemical and metallogenic study of ophiolites and ultramafic rocks; ii) the origin of exotic mineral associations (including diamonds) in ophiolites; iii) the study of supergene enrichment processes of Co-Ni and critical metals (PGE, REE, Sc) in Ni-laterites and karst bauxites; and iv) the study of mineral systems in volcanic arcs product of intra- oceanic subduction.

Contact:

University of Barcelona
Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada,
Facultat de Geologia (UB)
Martí i Franqués, s/n
08028, Barcelona (Spain)

Tel: (+34) 93 402 13 51
Fax: (+34) 93 402 13 40
e-mail: japroenza@ub.edu

www.researchgate.net/profile/J_Proenza

Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8738-7305

Thin Section Service Manager

I have a degree in Geology (1997) and a PhD in Geology (2007) at the University of Barcelona studying the provenance of synorogenic conglomerates and its relationships with tectonic evolution of the Pyrenees. My PhD was focused on petrographical characterization of conglomerates and sandstones, including heavy mineral analysis and their geochemistry. My research background is centred on detrital and carbonate sedimentary petrography, petrophysical characterization, heavy mineral studies and sample preparations, especially those related to thin section and mounted samples ones.

From 2006 to 2009 I have worked as a technician at the Thin Section Service of the University of Barcelona. From 2010, I am the Thin Section Service Manager.

Contact:

Thin Section Service
Faculty of Earth Sciences
University of Barcelona
c/Martí Franqués s/n
08028 Barcelona (Spain)
Tel: (+34)934021423
Fax: (+34) 4021340
e-mail: dolobarso@ub.edu
Orcid:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4918-5929

Mineralogy curator at the Natural Science Museum of Barcelona

Marc is PhD in Earth Sciences from the Universitat de Barcelona (2016). Currently, he is researcher at the Natural Science Museum of Barcelona, where he works as the curator responsible for the mineralogy and meteorite collection. His research primarily focuses on the study of conventional and unconventional mineral deposits of critical elements associated to magmatic settings in various regions of the planet, such as the Canary Islands or Angola.

Contact:

Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona
Castell dels Tres Dragons
Passeig Picasso s/n.
08003 Barcelona

Tel: +34932562188
e-mail: mcampenyc@bcn.cat
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marc-Campeny-2

orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8720-2400

Post-doctoral researcher

Montgarri PhD in Earth Sciences was granted in 2016 both by the Universitat de Barcelona and Macquarie University (Australia). Her main research has been done on the petrological and geochemical characterisation of kimberlites, including the study of both their groundmass minerals and the mantle xenoliths entrained by the kimberlitic magma. In particular, she has worked on the composition of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath NE Angola, mantle metasomatism and other fluid/rock interaction processes, kimberlite petrogenesis and the deep C cycle. After working for 5 years at MQuni as a research associate, she has recently joined the MinResET team as a postdoc, where she is carrying out petrological and geochemical studies on peridotites of ophiolites from Eastern Cuba.

Contact:

University of Barcelona
Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada,
Facultat de Geologia (UB)
Martí i Franqués, s/n
08028, Barcelona (Spain)

Tel: (+34) 93 402 13 57
e-mail: montgarricastillo@ub.edu
orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6694-0343

Petrology curator at the Natural Science Museum of Barcelona

Yael has been working as the Head of the Scientific Department of Petrology at the Natural History Museum of Barcelona since 2009. She was elected as the Secretary of the Spanish Royal Society of Natural History in 2021, and in 2022, she obtained her Ph.D. in Earth Sciences from the Universitat de Barcelona (Spain). Her research primarily focuses on the field of geoarchaeology, specifically in relation to mineral deposits.

Contact:

Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona
Castell dels Tres Dragons
Passeig Picasso s/n.
08003 Barcelona
Tel: +34 932562185
e-mail: ydiaz@bcn.cat
orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7265-5714

PhD student and manager of the HS lab

Diego obtained his Bachelor degree in Geology at the Universitat de Barcelona (2017) and his Master degree in Geochemistry, Alpine Tectonics and Ore Deposits at the University of Geneva and at the University of Lausanne (2019). Currently, he is doing his PhD thesis at the University of Barcelona under the supervision of Dr. Proenza and Dr. García-Casco. The goal of his thesis is to focus on the metallogeny associated to the ultramafic section of ophiolitic sequences. Specifically, he is studying: 1) chromite deposits formed at 1200ºC during the formation of the ophiolite; 2) UM-VMS deposits formed at 400-500ºC during the exhumation of the ultramafic rocks to the oceanic floor; 3) laterite deposits formed at 25ºC during the weathering of peridotites in a tropical climate; and 4) placer deposits formed by the dismantle of the ophiolite lithologies. In addition, Diego is also the responsible technician of the Hydroseparation Laboratory.

Contact:

University of Barcelona
Department of Mineralogy, Petrology and Applied Geology,
Carrer Martí i Franqués s/n
Barcelona, 08032 (Spain)

e-mail: ddominguezcarretero@ub.edu
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Diego-Dominguez-Carretero
Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1089-0962

EMP laboratory manager

Xavier runs the electron microprobe laboratory at the University of Barcelona, where he has worked since 1991.  He received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Barcelona in 1998 and was awarded the Accreditation of Research by AQU Catalonia in 2010. He served as Vice-president of the European Microbeam Analysis Society (EMAS) from 2012 to 2019. His research interests include the measurement of fundamental parameters for X-ray spectrometry and the development and application of microanalytical methods to study complex materials.

Contact:

University of Barcelona
Centres Científics i Tecnològics de la Universitat de Barcelona
C/ Lluis Solé i Sabarís, 1-3
08028, Barcelona (Spain)
Tel: (+34) 934037203
E_mail: xavier@ccit.ub.edu
Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6716-6174

Associate professor

Joan Carles Melgarejo got his doctor in Geology at University of Barcelona in 1987 and is associated professor of Mineralogy at this university since 1988. He is working in several projects in Mineralogy and Ore Deposit Modelling. Some of his recent research subjects include pegmatites in Catalonia, Angola, Brazil and Mexico, sedex deposits in Catalonia and Cuba, VMS, manganese deposits, podiform chromitites and laterites in Cuba, carbonatites and kimberlites in Angola, gold deposits in Colombia and present-day formed submarine exhalative deposits in Mexico. Adviser of the Strategic Plan of Mining in Catalonia 2000-2010 (Generalitat de Catalunya), he also studies historical aspects of mining in Catalonia.

Contact:

University of Barcelona
Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada,
Facultat de Geologia (UB)
Martí i Franqués, s/n
08028, Barcelona (Spain)
Tel: (+34) 93 402 1344
E_mail: joan.carles.melgarejo.draper@ub.edu
Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7544-1191

Postdoctoral researcher

Núria Pujol-Solà is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Granada’s Department of Mineralogy and Petrology on experimental petrology. She is investigating the formation and stability of zircon in chromitites. During her PhD, she studied exotic mineral associations in ophiolites from eastern Cuba and Morocco. Her research interests include oceanic lithosphere, serpentinization, and ore deposit formation in mafic and ultramafic rocks. She has spent time at universities in Geneva and Sweden and has collaborated with multiple labs in Spain. Passionate about science communication, she is Scientific Advisor for the Barcelona SGA-SEG Student Chapter and is also a member of several geological organizations.

Contact:

Universidad de Granada
Avenida de la Fuente Nueva S/N
18071 Granada (Spain)

e-mail: npujolsola@gmail.com
www.researchgate.net/profile/Nuria_Pujol_Sola
Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6378-6811

Associate professor

Esperança Tauler Ferre is an associate professor of the Department of Mineralogy, Petrology and Applied Geology at the Universitat de Barcelona since 1977, and member of the research group “Mineral Resources for the Energy Transition (MinResET)”.Her research focuses in the study of supergene enrichment processes of Co-Ni in Nickel laterites from Caribbean region. In addition, studies the different ferruginization processes of the Skolithos-type bioturbation structures present in the Pliocene of the Catalunya (Spain) in relation with different diagenetic processes and linked to a change in environmental conditions.

Contact:

University of Barcelona
Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada,
Facultat de Geologia (UB)
Martí i Franqués, s/n
08028, Barcelona (Spain)
Tel: (+34) 93 402 13 54
E_mail: esperancatauler@ub.edu

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Esperanca_Tauler

​​Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9375-1847

Àngel obtained his Bachelor degree in Geology at the Universitat de Barcelona (2023) and his Master degree in Geosciences at the University of Oulu (2025). Currently, he is doing his PhD thesis at the University of Barcelona under the supervision of Dr. Proenza and Dr. Villanova-de-Benavent. His thesis is focused on the geochemistry and geochronology of critical metals mineralizations in supergene deposits, such as karst bauxites and Ni-laterites.

Associate professor

Cristina obtained her PhD in Earth Sciences at the Universitat de Barcelona (Spain) in 2016, and was later a research fellow at the School of Environment and Technology of the University of Brighton (United Kingdom) from 2018 to 2019. Her research focuses on the geochemistry and mineralogy of various ore deposit types including, but not limited to, Ni-Co-PGE laterites, karst bauxites, ion adsorption REE deposits, and volcanogenic Li deposits. Since 2024, she is an associate professor in Ore Deposits Geology at the Faculty of Earth Sciences of the Universitat de Barcelona.

Contact:

University of Barcelona
Department of Mineralogy, Petrology and Applied Geology
Martí i Franqués s/n
Barcelona 08032, Spain
e-mail: cvillanovadb@ub.edu
www.researchgate.net/profile/Cristina_Villanova-de-Benavent
Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3973-2271