Doctor in Physics from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 1992, Elena Palomo joined CIC energiGUNE in September 2017 as Scientific Director in the Area of Thermal Storage through a position as Ikerbasque Professor. Until then, Dr. Palomo had been a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Thermal Area that she now leads.

Elena has a wide research career, holding the positions of Research Professor at the Institut de Mécanique et d´Ingénierie - Bordeaux (I2M - UMR CNRS 5295) since 2001, Researcher at Centre d´Études et Recherches en Thermique, Énergétique et Systèmes (CERTES, EA 3481), Université Paris between 1999 - 2001, Researcher member of the Groupe Informatique et Systèmes Énergétiques (GISE), École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC), Paris between 1994 - 1999, Researcher at the Institute of Renewable Energy, Centre for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT), Madrid between 1988 - 1994 and Associate Professor at the Department of Physics, School of Agricultural Engineering, Polytechnic University, Madrid between 19884 - 1987. This activity resulted in the publication of a patent (Composite material for storing heat at high temperature. Spanish patent n°: EP 2444468 A1 - International patent n°: WO 2010 146197 A1 - USA patent n° US 2012 0138849 A1), in the publication of a book (Résolution de problèmes thermiques de grande dimension. Méthodes de Réduction, Editions Universitaires Européennes, 2011, ISBN-13: 978-613-1-56538-0) and co-authorship of 4 book chapters.  Dr. Palomo has also published more than 90 papers and participated in more than 120 conferences as a keynote speaker.

During these years, Dr. Palomo has been very involved in the management of European projects, both in the direction - she has led 6 projects - and as an evaluation member of the FP6, FP7 and H2020 framework programes. She has combined all this with the industry of the sector, having directed more than 20 projects with companies. It is worth mentioning her collaboration with Abengoa, directing three projects and a laboratory financed by the entity with a budget of 3 million euros.

In the teaching field, Dr. Palomo has directed more than 12 doctoral theses and directed 9 courses. In 2003 she created - and directed for 4 years - the Master "Energy and Development" which is now integrated within the Master "Science and Technology" of the University of Bordeaux.