Rate My Professor Aurora Cruz-Cabeza

Professor Aurora J. Cruz-Cabeza is a Professor of Materials Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at Durham University, leading the Durham Molecular Crystals and Crystallization group (DuMoC2) and serving as Director of Research for the department. Born in Jaén, Spain, she earned dual BSc degrees in Chemistry and Music, a master’s degree in catalysis from Córdoba, Spain, and a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Cambridge, UK. After her doctorate, she held researcher positions across the UK, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. In 2015, she joined the University of Manchester as a Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, where she developed her independent research program alongside Prof. Roger Davey. In 2022, she relocated to Durham University as Professor of Materials Chemistry, focusing on advancing knowledge in molecular crystals and their applications.

Her research centers on molecular crystals and crystallisation, encompassing polymorphism, mechanochemistry, crystal growth, pharmaceutical solvates, and solid-state transformations relevant to pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. She collaborates extensively with industry partners, including AstraZeneca, to improve drug delivery through crystal engineering. Key publications include 'Phase diagrams of pharmaceutical solvates from mechanochemistry' in Nature Communications (2026, with F. Theodosiou et al.), 'When Reality Defies Prediction: Polymorphism, Twinning, and Accordion Crystals' in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (2026, with A. V. Hall et al.), 'Crystal size, shape, and conformational changes drive both the disappearance and reappearance of ritonavir polymorphs in the mill' in PNAS (2024, with P. Sacchi et al.), and 'Simple Quantification of Sticking Propensities of Pharmaceuticals with Mechanochemistry' in Molecular Pharmaceutics (2025, with M. Brocca et al.). With nearly 100 peer-reviewed papers and over 80 invited lectures worldwide, she has earned awards such as the 2023 BCA Prize Lecture. She leads the £7 million Molecular Solid Solutions (MoSS) project to revolutionize crystalline-based products in medicines and agrochemicals.