We are proud to continue the 2026 edition of Made in UPM, celebrating the talent and global impact of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. This time, we highlight two exceptional researchers representing the UPM spirit at the forefront of energy and healthcare innovation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
đź“… Save the Date: Wednesday, April 22nd
đź“Ť Location: 26 Trowbridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
đź•’ 17:30 – SofĂa Paramio (MIT Energy Initiative)
SofĂa Paramio holds a BSc in Industrial Design Engineering and is completing her degree in Mechanical Engineering, both from ETSIDI-UPM. Passionate about the energy transition, her track record includes patenting a triboelectric floor for her first Bachelor Thesis—becoming a finalist for the AirZone Award 2024—and winning the ASHRAE European Net Zero Building competition for energy efficiency in Data Centers.
At the MIT Energy Initiative, SofĂa investigates the behavior of nine different thermal energy storage (TES) technologies. Her research focuses on a techno-economic analysis to understand how non-linear constraints, such as storage costs and operational variables, influence the implementation of these technologies. By modeling the ERCOT grid (Texas), she is assessing how TES can benefit industrial hubs, providing a significant leap forward from traditional linear infrastructure models to more accurate, real-world simulations.
đź•’ 18:00 – MarĂa Ruiz Izquierdo (Institute for Medical Engineering and Science - IMES at MIT)
MarĂa Ruiz Izquierdo is a Biomedical Engineering student at ETSIT-UPM and a researcher at MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES). With previous research experience at both UPM and EPFL, her work sits at the intersection of biomedical imaging, signal processing, and translational medical technology.
At MIT, MarĂa addresses a critical challenge in cardiovascular and neurocritical care: finding safer, non-invasive alternatives to traditional blood pressure measurement. Her research focuses on ultrasound-based methods to infer blood pressure from carotid wall dilation and blood-flow dynamics. By developing these reliable, continuous hemodynamic assessment tools, MarĂa is contributing to a new generation of patient-centered medical technologies with the potential to transform clinical monitoring and improve patient safety.