Prof. Nancy Ornelas-Soto is a Professor and Researcher at Tecnológico de Monterrey, where she has been part of the faculty since 2013 and serves as a core member of the Water Science and Technology Group. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Guanajuato (2002). Shortly after, she joined the Applied Physics Department at the Optics Research Center (CIO, Mexico) as a postdoctoral fellow, and later completed a one-year postdoctoral stay at the Norwegian Institute of Food and Aquaculture Research (NOFIMA), where she worked on advanced methods for food identification, drug adulteration, and industrial quality control.
With more than 16 years of experience in environmental analytical chemistry and nanotechnology, Prof. Ornelas-Soto has established an interdisciplinary research line focused on the development of innovative analytical and technological solutions for detecting and mitigating emerging contaminants in aquatic systems. Her background encompasses analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, and vibrational spectroscopy, which she integrates with nanomaterials, biosensors, and biocatalysis to address complex environmental challenges.
She has served as principal investigator or co-investigator in several nationally and internationally funded projects, including collaborations with the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of California, Riverside. Through these initiatives, she has led multidisciplinary teams in designing analytical platforms for pollutant removal, microplastic characterization, and monitoring of priority contaminants. Her laboratory currently focuses on Raman-based microplastic analysis, development of nanophotocatalysts for water remediation, and biosensor-driven quantification of pharmaceutical residues.
Prof. Ornelas-Soto has been a member of Mexico¿s National System of Researchers (SNI) since 2010 and currently holds Level II distinction. She has supervised numerous students¿8 Ph.D. candidates, 6 master¿s students, and 9 undergraduate theses¿reflecting her strong commitment to mentorship and scientific training.
According to Scopus (Author ID: 26642761000), she has published over 75 JCR-indexed scientific papers, receiving more than 2,500 citations and holding an h-index of 27. Approximately 80% of her publications appear in Q1/Q2 journals, including Water Research, ACS Catalysis, and Chemosphere, and 60% are published in journals with an impact factor above 5. Her work has been recognized nationally, including receiving the Rómulo Garza Award for High-Impact Scientific Publications in 2023.
ornel@tec.mx
