Cristina Palacios
Affiliation: Maastricht University
Currently based in the Netherlands, Cristina Palacios is an interdisciplinary researcher with a background in ecology, material science, and systems thinking. Cristina is actively involved in the Circular Textile Maastricht consortium, exploring local pathways towards a more sustainable textile ecosystem. She approaches this through academic research at Maastricht University and through practical case studies at KINKLEID, a studio working at the intersection of design, sustainability, and activism.
By connecting researchers, educators and designers, she explores how science-based design can make complex socio-ecological issues accessible for different segments of the public, while fostering criticality and systems thinking.
Cristina is engaged in formal education, delivering an annual lecture on Circular Textiles at the BSc in Circular Engineering (Maastricht University), and collaborating regularly with the Maastricht Institute of Arts (Zuyd Hogeschool). Since 2020, she has supervised multiple undergraduate and postgraduate research students.
At the 2nd Symposium of the International Research Network on Sustainable Fashion Consumption held at Yale University (USA) in 2025, she presented her research on circularity and the gap between scientific evidence and public assumptions, drawing attention to microfiber pollution. Part of this work had also been showcased during Dutch Design Week (NL) and Milan Design Week (IT).