Dr. Ramón Risco is a theoretical physicist and researcher affiliated with the National Accelerators Center —Centro Nacional de Aceleradores, CNA, CSIC— and the University of Seville. His scientific career has developed at the interface between fundamental physics, biomedical engineering, and applied cryobiology. He developed his carrier in Bari/Italy (Franco Selleri's group), Innsbruck/Austria (Anton Zeilinger's group) and Boston/USA (Mehmet Toner's group).

In the early stages of his research, he worked on conceptual problems in quantum mechanics, particularly quantum nonlocality, one of the central issues raised by Bell’s theorem and entanglement experiments. In this context, he founded the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics Group at the University of Seville, devoted to the study of the deepest aspects of quantum theory and their physical implications.

He later redirected his research activity toward the application of physics to biomedicine, founding the group CryoBioTech: Cryopreservation of Tissues and Organs, also at the University of Seville. Through this group, he has promoted a research line focused on one of the major challenges in translational medicine: the long-term preservation of complex biological structures, such as tissues and organs, while maintaining their viability and functional integrity.

His work combines applied physics, heat transfer, medical imaging, biomedical engineering, and experimental biology. A central part of his research focuses on vitrification, a cryopreservation procedure in which ice formation is avoided through the use of cryoprotective agents and rapid cooling. Within this field, Dr. Risco has studied both slow cryoprotectant-loading protocols for organs and tissues and ultrarapid protocols used in assisted reproduction. Among the latter is the rapid vitrification protocol for embryos and oocytes, lasting approximately two minutes, based on brief exposure to highly concentrated equilibration and vitrification solutions, followed by rapid immersion in liquid nitrogen. This strategy has been essential to the clinical success of vitrification in embryology.

One of the most innovative aspects of his research has been the development and application of high-intensity focused ultrasound —HIFU— for the rapid and homogeneous rewarming of vitrified samples. Rewarming is a critical phase, because slow or uneven warming can lead to recrystallization, thermal fractures, or structural damage. The use of HIFU enables controlled energy deposition inside the tissue, accelerates warming, and reduces thermal gradients, opening a promising route for the rewarming of larger tissues and organs.

Another major contribution by Dr. Risco is the use of X-ray computed tomography —CT— to analyze vitrification processes and detect the possible presence of ice in biological samples. This methodology makes it possible to study the internal state of cryopreserved organs and tissues in a non-destructive way, providing an objective tool to validate protocols, assess cryoprotectant penetration, and improve the safety of cryopreservation.

His research has been applied to different biological models, from cells, embryos, and oocytes to vascular tissues and mamalian hearts. He has also worked in the field of oncofertility, particularly in the preservation of ovarian tissue, as well as in strategies aimed at tissue and organ banking.