Dr Ángeles Rodríguez-Peña
President of the COST Association
After obtaining a PhD in Biology in Madrid, Dr Ángeles Rodríguez Peña began her career in
science, obtaining a postdoctoral fellowship from the European Molecular Biology Organisation to
join what is now Cancer Research UK in London, where she spent five years as an Associate
Scientist. Later returning to Spain, she established her own research group at the Spanish National
Research Council (CSIC), at the same time working as a visiting scientist in the US and Sweden.
In recognition of her expertise, from 2002-2004 she was a seconded national expert at DG
Research, European Commission.
From 2002, Peña served as Deputy Head of International Affairs at CSIC, which involved work in
international relations and European policy - including the Framework Programme. Five years
later, she was made Deputy Director General for European Programmes at the former Spanish
Ministry of Science and Innovation, as well as Spanish representative of the COST Committee of
Senior Officials (CSO).
Dr Peña has been heading the COST Committee of Senior Officials since 22 June 2010. In
addition to her work at COST, Peña is also Senior Scientist at CSIC, Special Advisor to the
Secretary of State for Research and Innovation in Spain, and an elected member of the Academia
European.