Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Valladolid

Director of the LOU BioecoUva Research Institute

President of the Working Party High Pressure Technology of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering and European

Editor of the Journal of Supercritical Fluids

She has supervised 41 theses. 30% of the PhDs trained by Maria José Cocero are working in industries such as REPSOL, Espindesa, PPG, RENMATIX (USA), etc. Another 30% of the trained PhDs are senior researchers in research centers and 30% in academia.

Since 2018, María José Cocero is Visiting Professor at the International Research Organization for Advanced Science and Technology (IROAST) – Kumamoto University (Japan).

She has been on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Supercritical Fluids (2006-2016), until becoming editor for Europe.

Since 2013 she has been on the Editorial Board of Industrial Crops and Products.

2006-2007 she was a member of the National Commission for the Evaluation of Research Activity – CNEAI.

2009-2011 she was a member of the National Quality Assessment and Accreditation Agency of Spain (ANECA): Commission for accreditation of professors, engineers and architects.

2015-2017 was a member of the National Quality Assessment and Accreditation Agency of Spain (ANECA): Chemical Engineering Coordinator for FPU predoctoral contracts. Icheme London Award 2003.

The main research lines are:

1. Development of processes and products in the field of Bioeconomy, such as the ultra-fast biomass fractionation process in supercritical water.

2. Intensification of processes through the implementation of new technologies, such as the microwave pretreatment process for the extraction of value-added compounds.

3. Development of new materials using supercritical fluids, such as new polymers from extractable sources.

María José Cocero has participated in 5 European projects, being coordinator of the project «intensification of the extraction and formulation processes of active compounds from wine processing» – WINESENSE. As head of the PressTech Research Group, she has received the research award of the Social Council of the UVA in 2013. In 2018 she was the driving force of the BioEcoUVa Research Institute.

Moreover, María José Cocero has participated in international educational programs and courses:

  • Socrates Intensive in High Pressure Technology (1999-2014), organized by WP High Pressure Technology EFCC for the training of PhD students in high pressure topics.
  • Since 2015 in the European Summer School in High Pressure Technology.

She has organized the following international congresses:

  • 2007. 5th International Symposium in Chemical Engineering and Pressure Processes, Segovia, Spain. 
  • 2007. PROSCIBA Iberoamerican meeting in supercritical Fluids. Iguasu, Brazil. 
  • 2014. 10th International Conference on Renewable Resources and Biorefineries, Valladolid, Spain. 

María José Cocero is a member of scientific committees of international congresses in supercritical fluids, pressure process technology, and chemical engineering.