She will lead the new Atmosphere-Biosphere-Climate Impacts and Interactions (ABCi2) group

María Val Martín, a leading scientist with an extensive international track record in climate and air pollution research, joined the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) last September.

An agricultural engineer from the UPV, María Val returns to the Valencian Community after more than 20 years of professional experience in the United States and the United Kingdom. At the UPV, she will lead the new research group "Atmosphere-Biosphere-Climate Impacts and Interactions (ABCi2)", which will study how land-use changes and environmental phenomena affect air quality and climate, with a particular focus on Spain and the Mediterranean region.

Her return to the UPV forms part of the first ValER recruitment call, launched in 2025, with the researchers joining the Valencian research system in 2026. This initiative by the Valencian Regional Government aims to attract outstanding international scientific talent and offer stability to professionals who have developed their careers outside Spain.

"Over the last few years, I have developed this line of research at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom, where I led a team of researchers and worked with international collaborators. I now wish to continue and expand this work from Valencia," explains the new researcher at IIAMA-UPV.

Assessing the effects of climate change strategies

The new research group will examine how changes in land use, forest fires and droughts alter the atmosphere and affect air quality and climate. It will also analyse the consequences of strategies aimed at curbing global warming.

"One of my main areas of interest will be assessing the benefits and potential adverse effects of measures aimed at removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, such as reforestation," says the IIAMA researcher.

To this end, she will combine Earth system models with satellite observations and field data to provide insights that will enable assessment of their environmental effects and guide decision-making.

Among the priorities for this new phase are "building a team, establishing collaborations in Spain and continuing international scientific partnerships", she notes.

An international career in atmospheric research

Originally from Castelló, María Val completed her degree in Agricultural Engineering at the UPV in 1999 and obtained her PhD in Environmental Engineering from Michigan Technological University in 2007. During her time in the United States, she worked at Harvard University, NASA and Colorado State University, in collaboration with the National Centre for Atmospheric Research.

In 2017, she joined the Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change Mitigation at the University of Sheffield, where she became a senior lecturer and led an interdisciplinary research group as a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow.

Her work has been published in international scientific journals such as *Science*, *Nature* and *PNAS*. Her research provides scientific insights to inform air quality and climate change mitigation policies, while also contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Returning to the university where she trained

"ValER has allowed me to return to my homeland and continue my scientific career at the UPV. For me, it is very meaningful to return and contribute to the development of research in the Valencian Community," says María Val.

The researcher values that the programme enables the Valencian research system to benefit from the experience, international collaboration networks, and lines of research developed by scientists who have worked abroad.