SHORT SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC LIFE
My background is chemical and environmental engineering. I finished my PhD in 2001 and I obtained a permanent position in Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in 2006 as associate professor. I have published more than 88 articles in indexed journals, 75% of them in first quartile journals. I have an H-index of 38 with 3965 citations (metrics from Web of Science). Moreover, according to the Elsevier Data for "Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators", I was among the 2% of the world's most cited scientists in my area of research in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
In addition, throughout my scientific career I have participated in 14 research competitive projects, being the principal investigator or coordinator in 8 of them with a total budget of more than two million euros. Thus, I am or I have been principal investigator of five national projects (PID2021-126102OB-I00, CTQ2014-60495-R,CTQ2011-24745/PPQ, CTQ2008-06792-C02-02/PPQ and CTQ2008-02701-E/PPQ) and an European project (FP6-018525) and also the coordinator of an European project (LIFE 14 ENV/ES/000633) and an Ibero-American project (CYTED 316RT0508).
In the last decade, I have been one of the most active researchers in the development of energetically self-sufficient urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) by implementing the derivation of all the organic matter to produce biogas through High-Rate Activated Sludge (HRAS) systems and the subsequent nitrogen removal in the mainstream through a two-stage autotrophic biological process (partial nitritation + anammox). Three of my research projects and three of my supervised PhD theses were devoted to this field. Another of my most significant research fields is the development of aerobic and anoxic granular biomasses to be used in innovative treatments of urban and industrial wastewaters. In this sense, my research group was able to develop exclusively biological treatments for complex industrial wastewaters using granular biomass. Moreover, throughout my scientific career I have collaborated with international researchers from relevant institutions such as: Technical University of Delft, Universidad Autónoma de Mexico, Politecnico di Milano, University of Manitoba, University of Palermo, University of Porto. These collaborations have resulted in publications and/or joint projects.
I have been the responsible of 10 contracts for the technological development of new wastewater treatments systems with private companies and the Public Administration. One of my most significant contributions to the technology transfer is related to the development of an energetically self-sufficient urban wastewater treatment plant through the LIFE project that I coordinated and the two subsequent contracts with DAM (a national private company) and the Catalan Water Agency (Public Administration). Moreover, I have participated in several dissemination activities of my research for the general public. I would like to highligth my participation in the serie "Càpsules de Ciència" of the Catalan public television (TV3) https://www.ccma.cat/tv3/alacarta/capsulesdeciencia/el-futur-de-la-depuracio-de-les-aigues-residuals-urbanes/video/5650818/
I have supervised 10 PhD theses, all of them were rated as Excellent Cum Laude. Moreover, four of these PhDs received the UAB extraordinary doctorate award. I am co-founder of the company AERIS Environmental Technologies (www.aeris.es), devoted to the development of innovative biological treatments for waters and gases. I have been reviewer of competitive research projects from public agencies from: Spain, Galicia, Chile, Argentina, Germany and Peru.
TOP TEN PUBLICATIONS
1. J. Carrera, J.A. Baeza, T. Vicent, J. Lafuente (2003). Biological nitrogen removal of high-strength ammonium industrial wastewater with two sludge system. Water Research 37, 4211-4221.
2. J. Carrera, T. Vicent, J. Lafuente (2004). Effect of influent COD/N ratio on biological nitrogen removal (BNR) from high-strength ammonium industrial wastewater. Process Biochemistry 39, 2035-2041.
3. I. Jubany, J.A. Baeza, J. Carrera, J. Lafuente (2005). Respirometric calibration and validation of a biological nitrite oxidation model including biomass growth and substrate inhibition. Water Research 39, 4574-4584.
4. A. Guisasola, S. Petzet, J.A. Baeza, J. Carrera, J. Lafuente (2007). Inorganic carbon limitations on nitrification: experimental assessment and modeling. Water Research 41, 277-286.
5. M. Martín-Hernández, J. Carrera, J. Pérez, M.E. Súarez-Ojeda (2009). Enrichment of a K-strategist microbial population able to biodegrade p-nitrophenol in a sequencing batch reactor. Water Research 43, 3871-3883.
6. I. Jubany, J. Lafuente, J.A. Baeza, J. Carrera (2009). Total and stable washout of nitrite oxidizing bacteria from a nitrifying continuous activated sludge system using automatic control based on Oxygen Uptake Rate measurements. Water Research 43, 2761-2772.
7. A. Bartrolí, J. Pérez, J. Carrera (2010). Applying ratio control in a continuous granular reactor to achieve full nitritation under stable operating conditions. Environmental Science & Technology 44, 8930-8935.
8. Z. Jemaat, M.E. Suárez-Ojeda, J. Perez, J. Carrera (2014). Partial nitritation and o-cresol removal with aerobic granular biomass in a continuous airlift reactor. Water Research 48, 354-362.
9. E. Isanta, C. Reino, J. Carrera, J. Pérez (2015). Stable partial nitritation for low-strength wastewater at low temperature in an aerobic granular reactor. Water Research 80, 149-158.
10. C. Reino, M.E. Suárez-Ojeda, J. Pérez, J. Carrera (2016). Kinetic and microbiological characterization of aerobic granules performing partial nitritation of a low-strength wastewater at 10 ºC. Water Research 101, 147-156.
LINKS
Thesis:http://www.tdx.cat/handle/10803/5299