Carlos Hidalgo received his PhD degree from Madrid Complutense University with his work on structural defects in solids and positron annihilation spectroscopy. His next area of research was related to plasma turbulence, transport and plasma diagnostics at CIEMAT where he is currently leading the Spanish National Fusion Laboratory.

Carlos has worked in different international laboratories, initially as a PhD student (Technical University of Denmark, Nuclear Research Centre of Grenoble, Technical University of Helsinki) and later as visiting scientist (Fusion Centre at the University of Austin (US), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US), Joint European Torus (UK), Max Planck Institute (Germany), National Institute Fusion Studies (Japan), Southwestern Institute of Physics (SWIP, China)).

He has led different research teams in the framework of the International Fusion Programme and participated in European and International Advisory Committees on Fusion Science and Technology. He has chaired the Division of Plasma Physics and the Forum on Physics and Society of the European Physical Society.