“Spanish girls want to be #ASTRONAUTS. It’s not a dream; it’s a reality” posted Sara García Alonso after the publication of the Annual Adecco Survey, which asked over 1,100 children about what they dreamed of doing as a job.

Sara, a molecular biologist at Spain’s National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) and the country’s first candidate to become an astronaut for the European Space Agency, has managed to make travelling into space seem possible and has fired the imagination of young girls. Because when a woman is visible, when she forges a path, many more girls can see themselves in her place. 

That’s why today, to commemorate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we’re taking a look at three members of our CaixaResearch network: Almudena R. Ramiro, Biola M. Javierre and Luisa V. Lopes. Researchers who are an example of the talent possessed by this community. Women who, with their work, are driving key advances in biomedicine and healthcare.

We’re focusing on them today because we need more role models in which we can recognise ourselves. Because no-one dreams of something they don’t know. And because it’s the only way that, tomorrow, we might be able to read:

“Young girls want to be #RESEARCHERS. It’s not a dream; it’s a reality”.

About Almudena

“No-one in my family did research but, when I started my degree, I was lucky enough to meet Dr. Marisa Toribio, who quickly became my first and most important mentor” explains Almudena fondly. “I started going to her laboratory in the afternoons, after class, and ended up doing my thesis with her at the Molecular Biology Centre (CBMSO) in Madrid”. Today Almudena is researching new immune targets for treating cardiovascular disease at Spain’s National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC).

For Almudena, women like Rosalind Franklin and Marie Curie are essential historical figures but sometimes they’re “models that seem distant, unreachable; models who girls and young women may not feel a particular connection with”.

She points out that “having more familiar scientific role models from your own country who are living in the same era helps you realise that the decisions, contexts or challenges they face can be very similar to your own. It makes you think that you can follow the same path as well”.

Her enthusiasm is noticeable when she talks about the role models who are close to her. “In Spain we have some great female scientists, such as Ángela Nieto, Isabel Fariñas, Pura Muñoz, Carola Vinuesa, María Ángeles Moro, Paola Bovolenta…”, she tells us, highlighting the talent and the tangible example they provide.

About Luisa

At the Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine (GIMM) in Portugal we meet Luisa V. Lopes, who’s developing an innovative technique to treat the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. According to Luisa, it’s her mother and two sisters who inspire her every day, even though they’re not scientists. “They’re independent, intelligent and brave” she says, with admiration.

Continuing our chain of references, Luisa tells us about other women who not only stand out for their talent but also dedicate time to supporting and guiding new generations. “There are some incredible neuroscientists who’ve been an example to me and who help others find their way: such as Ana João Rodrigues, Luisa Pinto, Paula Pousinha, Nora Abrous and Carol Barnes” she says.

About Biola

Biola hesitates. She can’t choose. “There are so many!” she says. “There are so many and they’re all inspiring”. For her, the wealth of female talent in science is infinite.

A talent that leaves its mark on the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, where Biola is researching new biomarkers to predict the risk of relapse in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, crucial work in the search for more precise and effective treatments.

“Science can’t achieve its full potential without diversity in all its forms: gender, culture and training” she notes, with conviction. 

Before saying goodbye, we ask her what advice she would give to young girls and teenagers to help them dream big: “Don’t be intimidated by the idea that science is difficult, unattainable or incompatible with your personal life. Everything worthwhile in this life has its challenges and risks. But these challenges can be overcome with curiosity, perseverance, hard work and passion. Science is within the reach of anyone who has a desire to learn and discover”.