As part of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, our Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC) aims to highlight and celebrate talent of research. This year, we spoke to three women working in research at the BBRC to learn about their careers, inspirations and views on the role of women in science.

11 February marks the International Day for Women and Girls in Science, an important date to reflect on the importance of promoting equality in research.

A talent and passion for science are gender-neutral, but highlighting the role of women in this field is essential in order to move towards real equality. Dr Aldana Lizarraga, Dr Dr. Aldana Lizarraga, predoctoral researcher in the Neuroimaging research group; Aitana Plaza, predoctoral fellow in the Neuroimaging research group; Aitana Plaza, nursing coordinator (Interim), and Ruth Pareja, lab technician in the Genomics research group tell us how they are helping to transform our knowledge about Alzheimer’s through their work at the BBRC.

What made you decide to go into science? Do you remember any key moments 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 found the workings of the human body fascinating. This combination led me to study physics and later to specialise in medical physics. During my master’s degree, I had the opportunity to explore the human brain using neuroimaging, and this experience sparked my interest in understanding how the brain works.

Ruth Pareja: When I was little, I used to ask the Three Wise Men for chemistry and biology kits for children. I was fascinated by mixing colours and making “potions” to see the results. That was when I became interested in understanding how things work at a molecular level.

Aitana Plaza: I always felt that science was my world. As a child, I liked games that taught me interesting facts about nature, the human body, or allowed me to be a “mini-scientist”. As a teenager, I decided to study for the scientific baccalaureate, and it was during laboratory exercises and field trips to research centres that I knew I wanted to work in a similar place. In my family, we had several cases of diseases that could not be treated, which made me opt for a degree in the health sciences. During my studies, I discovered what nursing science was and the lack of references based on the scientific method. So I decided to do my bit.

Can you tell us about your work at the BBRC?

AL: My job is to analyse brain images of volunteer participants to understand how different areas of the brain connect and communicate with each other. Using the information from these images, I seek to identify the changes that occur in the brain during the early stages of Alzheimer’s. My main focus is to understand what changes allow the brain to cope with the disease and prevent the onset of symptoms of cognitive decline.

RP: I work as a lab technician in the BBRC genomics group, specifically in the creation of brain organoids (mini-brains) as a model for studying neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

AP: I am currently the care coordinator at the BBRC. I am responsible for scheduling visits and tasks for the team, creating the necessary documents for the nursing area and managing the materials. I also continue to carry out nursing visits, which I really enjoy. As nurses, we collect anthropometric data, perform analyses, administer medications and assist with lumbar punctures or other tests that we perform in our facilities.

How would you describe the impact of your work on society? What makes you most proud of what you do?

AL: My work helps towards a better understanding of how the brain is affected in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, which is key to developing prevention strategies and potential treatments. I am proud to know that my work has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life of affected individuals and their families. I feel that I am playing my part in the mission to eradicate Alzheimer’s.

RP: I think we are trying to help people understand a very difficult disease, fighting to give hope to those who suffer from it. I am very proud to be part of a team that shares the same goal: to understand Alzheimer’s and to find solutions at all levels to advance research.

AP: I believe that the Foundation’s work in society has been and continues to be essential. Raising awareness of Alzheimer’s and providing tools to prevent it is not an easy task. This work would not be possible without the activity that we carry out in clinical operations, supporting our researchers so that they have the tools and information they need to carry out the Foundation’s outreach work. At the end of the day, we form a collective cog where all the parts are essential to keep the wheel turning in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

What is the most rewarding and most challenging part of your job?

AL: The most rewarding part of my job is that I am constantly learning, while having space to develop my curiosity and creativity. The most challenging part, on the other hand, is interpreting the huge amount of data we work with and translating it into clinically relevant information, especially given the complexity of the processes involved in the development of Alzheimer’s.

RP: The most rewarding part is knowing that I am contributing, to a greater or lesser extent, to understanding and deciphering a disease that affects so many people and their families. The most challenging part is the race against time: sometimes we would like things to go faster, but science is methodical and requires patience.

AP: The most rewarding part of the job for me is being able to take care of our participants and in some way giving back what they give us. They give us their time, effort and samples so that we can solve the great mysteries of Alzheimer’s, and the least we can do is take care of them and treat them as they deserve.

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 becoming a scientist, she can achieve it. She has nothing to be afraid of because challenges always seem bigger from the outside. Once you face them, you realise that you can overcome them step by step.

RP: It is normal to have doubts and fears, but it makes us more critical of what we do. This attitude towards science is what drives us to investigate.

AP: I would say to a girl who wants to dedicate herself to science that she has already gained a lot just by having that intention. There are many of us women who are dedicated to science; we just lack visibility. That is why days like this are so important, to make our work more visible in society and to create role models like Margarita Salas, Marie Curie or Rosalind Franklin. Women are resilient and fighters by nature, and when we dedicate ourselves to science, we bring a unique perspective that is often not considered.