Dr. Alberto Ledesma is a Full Professor of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering at Technical University of Catalonia (UPC – BarcelonaTech) since 2002. He has developed his research work in basic areas such as inverse analysis, finite elements applied to geotechnical problems (including dynamics) and unsaturated soils, particularly the analysis of shrinkage and cracking in desiccating soils. In more applied aspects, his work includes the study of landslides, the design of engineering barriers for the storage of radioactive waste and the design of tunnels in urban areas, leading projects at National and International level. He is the author or coauthor of about 200 papers in books, Conference Proceedings and peer-reviewed Journals, receiving awards as the Hogentogler Award (ASTM, 2020) and the Honourable Mention Quigley Award (Canadian Geotechnical Society, 2023). He has served as a geotechnical advisor to ADIF, the Spanish Railway Administration, for the construction of high-speed rail lines in Spain, particularly the line linking Barcelona with the French border, which passed next to World Heritage buildings. This project was a finalist for the 2014 Fleming Award (British Geotechnical Association).