His outstanding career in the development of sensors and light-based technologies is recognized, becoming the first Spanish researcher to receive this prestigious accolade
José Miguel López-Higuera, a researcher affiliated with the Valdecilla Health Research Institute (IDIVAL), has been awarded the OFS29 Lifetime Achievement Award, an international recognition honoring a lifetime of scientific, technical, and organizational contributions in the field of sensing and measurement using light-based technologies.
The award was presented on June 2, 2025, during the gala dinner of the 29th International Conference on Optical Fiber Sensors (OFS29), held in Porto, Portugal. It marks the first time a Spanish researcher has received this distinction.
López-Higuera has built an extensive career in photonics applied to sensing, with over 150 research projects, 21 doctoral theses supervised, nearly 1,000 scientific publications, and 26 registered patents. He is a member of CIBER-BBN of the Carlos III Health Institute and maintains a close collaboration with IDIVAL, particularly in the development of light-based technologies applied to healthcare and medicine.
Among his achievements are the presidencies of major international conferences such as EWOFS 2004 and OFS23 in 2014, both held in Cantabria, as well as the leadership, since 2016, of the International School on Light Sciences and Technologies (ISLiST). This initiative, hosted annually at the Menéndez Pelayo International University, has featured the participation of leading international experts, including Nobel Prize laureates Andre Geim, Shuji Nakamura, and Donna Strickland.
In addition to his roles at IDIVAL and CIBER-BBN, López-Higuera is Professor Emeritus at the University of Cantabria and founder of the Photonics Engineering Group (TEISA). Throughout his career, he has been a pioneer in integrated optics in Spain and has promoted the use of optical sensor systems in diverse fields such as civil engineering, power generation, environmental monitoring, and, in recent years, biomedicine.
This latest award adds to a long list of international recognitions, including the IAAM Scientist Medal in 2024 and the Juan Parés Award from the Social Council of the University of Cantabria.
Caption: José Miguel López-Higuera (center) during the presentation of the OFS29 Lifetime Achievement Award.
