What is your role and what does it involve?
I am a research fellow, part of the Plastic Waste Innovation Hub , where my role is to apply Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a methodology used to calculate the environmental impacts of products, processes, or services. I apply LCA to absorbent hygiene products (i.e. baby nappies) to estimate the environmental performance of the whole product life cycle, from their production to their disposal.How long have you been at UCL and what was your previous role?
I’ve been at UCL since 2020, when I began my PhD in Chemical Engineering. Prior to this, I worked in Spain, my home country, as a private tutor and an English/Spanish teacher.What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?
The achievement I am most proud so far is to have become a doctor in Chemical Engineering at UCL, with my PhD program funded by an MSCA scholarship. It was literally a dream come true.Tell us about a project you are working on now which is top of your to-do list
I apply LCA to assess the sustainability and the environmental performance of different disposal routes and reduce/reuse/recycle strategies we come up within the Comfort Loop consortium.What is your favourite album, film and novel?
This one is tough. One of my favourite albums is Arena en los Bolsillos by Manolo Garcia, a Spanish artist. Every single song is a masterpiece. My favourite film is Dogma directed by Kevin Smith. My favorite novel...so hard to say. But I can give you three: The Century Trilogy by Ken Follet, La Sombra del Viento by Carlos Ruiz Zafón and Mi Planta de Naranja-Lima by José Mauro de Vasconcelos (man, that one made me cry).What is your favourite joke (pre-watershed)?
I don’t know jokes in English!Who would be your dream dinner guests?
If I could plan a dream dinner, it would be outdoors, on a beautiful, calm, cool summer night. My guests would be my parents, my best friend, and her whole family. It would be an Argentinian asado, prepared by my dear Patricio, my best friend’s dad.What advice would you give your younger self?
I have two things:1. When you feel you’re alone, turn yourself to God.
2. You’re amazing, get to know yourself better and don’t be afraid to show it to the world.
What would it surprise people to know about you?
I’m very spiritual and God is first. Always.What is your favourite place?
Under the sea.Get involved with Gema’s research!
If you, or someone you know, has a child currently in toilet training, then Gema’s team at the Plastic Waste Innovation Hub would like to hear from you! Their Big Toilet Project is collecting data on disposable nappy use, in a bid to work out how plastic waste from nappies can be reduced.- University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT (0) 20 7679 2000
