From girl to scientist: the journey of three referents on the Day of Women and Girls in Science

As part of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, at the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), the research center of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, we want to make visible and celebrate female talent in the research field. This year, we have spoken with three women who work in the field of research at the BBRC to learn about their careers, their inspirations and their vision of the role of women in science.

February 11 commemorates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a key date to reflect on the importance of promoting equality in research.

Talent and passion for science are independent of gender, but making the role of women in this field visible is essential to move towards real equality. Aldana Lizarraga, predoctoral researcher in the Neuroimaging group; Aitana Plaza, Nurse Coordinator (interim) and Ruth Pareja, laboratory technician in the Genomics research group, tell us how they contribute to transforming our knowledge about Alzheimer's through their work at the BBRC.

In addition, Dr. Ana Fernández Arcos will participate on February 13 in an initiative within the framework of 11F coordinated by the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB). On this occasion, she will give a talk on neuroscience for primary school students.

1. What made you say, "I want to dedicate myself to science"? Do you remember any key moment from your childhood or youth?

Aldana Lizarraga: When I was in high school, I began to feel a great admiration for physics and, at the same time, I found the functioning of the human body fascinating. That combination led me to study physics and, later, to specialize in medical physics. During my master's studies, I had the opportunity to delve into the study of the human brain through neuroimaging, and that experience sparked my interest in understanding how the brain works.
Ruth Pareja: When I was little, I always asked for Christmas chemistry and biology games for children. I was fascinated by mixing colors and making "potions" to see what results I got. This is where my interest in understanding how things work in the molecular field began.
Aitana Plaza: I have always thought that science was my world. As a child, I liked games where they taught you curiosities about nature, the human body, or games where you played the role of a "mini-scientist." As a teenager, I chose to study the Scientific Baccalaureate, where by doing exercises in the laboratory and excursions to research centers, I knew that I wanted to work somewhere similar. In my family, we had different cases of diseases that could not be treated, a fact that made me opt for a degree in Health Sciences. While studying for the degree, I discovered what nursing science was and the lack of references based on the scientific method. That's why I wanted to contribute my bit.

2. Can you explain what your job is at the BBRC?

AL: My job consists of analyzing brain images of volunteer participants to understand how the different areas of the brain connect and communicate with each other. From the information obtained from these images, I seek to identify the changes that occur in the brain during the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. More specifically, I focus on understanding what changes allow the brain to cope with the disease and prevent the onset of symptoms of cognitive decline.
RP: I work as a laboratory technician in the Genomics group at the BBRC, specifically in the creation of brain organoids (mini-brains) as a model to understand neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
AP: At the BBRC I am currently the nurse coordinator, in charge of distributing visits and team tasks among my colleagues, creating the necessary documents for the nursing task and managing the material. In addition, I continue to make nursing visits, which I enjoy so much. As nurses, we collect anthropometric data, perform tests, administer medication, and support lumbar punctures and other tests that we perform at our facilities.

3. How would you describe the impact of your work on society? What are you most proud of about what you do?

AL: My work contributes to advancing the understanding of how the brain is affected in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, which is key to developing prevention strategies and potential treatments. I am proud to know that what I do has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life of affected individuals and their families. I feel that I am doing my bit in the mission to eradicate Alzheimer's.
RP: I think we try to help understand a very hard disease, and we fight to give hope to the people affected. I am very proud to be part of a team that has the same interest: to understand Alzheimer's and to look for solutions at all levels to advance research.
AP: I think that the Foundation's work in society has been very important and continues to be so. Raising awareness in society about Alzheimer's and providing tools to prevent it is not an easy job. This task would not be possible without the activity we do from Clinical Operations, supporting our researchers, so that they have the tools and information necessary to then carry out the Foundation's dissemination task. In the end we are a great cog where all the pieces are necessary so that the wheel does not stop turning in the fight against Alzheimer's.

4. What is the most rewarding and most challenging thing about your job?

AL: The most rewarding thing about my job is that I constantly learn new things, while having space to develop my curiosity and creativity. The most challenging thing, on the other hand, is interpreting the large amount of data we work with and transforming it into clinically relevant information, especially given the complexity of the processes associated with the development of Alzheimer's.
RP: The most rewarding thing is knowing that I am contributing my part, whether large or small, to understanding and deciphering a disease that affects many people and also the people who accompany them. The most challenging part is fighting against time: sometimes we would like everything to go faster, but science is methodical and requires patience.
AP: For me, the most rewarding part of the job is being able to take care of our participants and give back to them, in some way, what they give us. They give their time, effort and samples so that we can answer the great unknowns of Alzheimer's and the least we can do is being able to care for them as they deserve.

5. What advice would you give to a girl who dreams of being a scientist, but has doubts or fears?

AL: I would tell her that, if she really dreams of being a scientist, she can achieve it. There is nothing to fear, because challenges always seem bigger from the outside. Once you face them, you realize that, step by step, you can overcome them.
RP: It is normal to have doubts and fears, but this makes one more critical of what one does and this attitude towards science helps us a lot in research.
AP: To a girl who wants to dedicate herself to science, I would say that just with this intention, she has already won a lot. There are many of us women who dedicate ourselves to science, we just lack visibility. That is why a day like this is so important, dedicated to making our work more visible to society, creating role models like Margarita Salas, Marie Curie or Rosalind Franklin. Women are resilient and fighters by nature and when we want to dedicate ourselves to science, we give a perspective that many have not considered.