Dr. Lourdes F. Vega is a Full Professor in Chemical Engineering and Director of the Research and Innovation Center on CO₂ and H₂ (RICH Center) at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, UAE, as well as an Independent Member of the Board of Directors of the company ERCROS, SA, in Spain. She is one of the 20 individuals first awarded of the Golden Visa in the UAE, granted by the UAE Cabinet to grow the country's status as an incubator of talent and innovation and the recipient of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Distinguishment, for her contributions in clean energy and sustainable products. She is also the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Molecular Liquids.

Prof. Vega obtained her PhD in Physics from the University of Seville, Spain, in collaboration with the Chemical Engineering Department of the University of Southern California, USA. She has developed her career between academia and industry, with academic positions in the USA (Cornell University, University of Southern California), Spain (Universitat Rovira I Virgili, and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas - CSIC), and the UAE. She was the General Director of MATGAS, R&D Director of Carburos Metálicos, Technology Director of Air Products and Chemicals, and Founder and CEO of AlyaTech.

Prof. Vega is an internationally recognized expert in clean energy and sustainable products. Her scientific work combines fundamental and applied research to sustainable processes and products, including CO₂ capture and utilization, nanomaterials for different applications, development of low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, hydrogen production, storage and applications and water treatment. She is the sole author of the book “CO₂ as a resource: from capture to industrial uses”. With more than 200 publications and five patents under exploitation, she is also recognized for her contributions in molecular thermodynamics applied to engineering and industry. The impact of her research has been acknowledged by the invitation to give plenary talks at different international events, as well as the reception of several prestigious awards, including the Physics, Innovation and Technology Prize awarded by the BBVA Foundation and the Royal Spanish Society of Physics in 2013, among others. She is a Corresponding (elected) Academician of the Academy of Mathematics, Physical Chemistry and Natural Sciences of Granada and a Member of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Academy of Sciences in the UAE.