The scientist from the Severo Ochoa Center for Molecular Biology (CSIC), Carolina Villarroya Beltri, has been awarded the Professional Women's Leadership Award in the XXXV edition of the awards from the Spanish Federation of Women Directors, Executives, Professionals, and Businesswomen (FEDEPE). This recognition highlights a career marked by excellence, innovation, and a key contribution to the progress of biomedical knowledge.
The jury has particularly emphasized her contributions in cancer genetics, immunotherapy, and cell biology, which have helped deepen the understanding of the cellular mechanisms involved in various pathologies and opened new opportunities to develop more personalized and effective therapies.
At the award ceremony for the XXXV FEDEPE Awards, Carolina Villarroya recalled the episode that shaped the course of her scientific career. "At one point I was going to leave science for a contract I accepted at a company, but when I told them I was pregnant, they withdrew the offer. That was a turning point to move forward, and those decisions led me to where I am now," she stated.
Far from distancing her from the laboratories, that experience reinforced her commitment to science and consolidated a career that today places her among the Spanish researchers with the greatest international projection. She holds a degree in Biochemistry from the Autonomous University of Madrid, a Master's in Molecular Biomedicine, and a PhD in Molecular Biology, leading projects focused on the immune recognition of aneuploid cells and their possible applications in immunotherapy, as well as the analysis of rare diseases such as variegated mosaic aneuploidy syndrome.
Currently, she develops her work at the Severo Ochoa Center for Molecular Biology (CSIC), after solid international experience at reference centers such as CNIC, CNIO, Cornell University, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States.
Leadership Models for New Female Scientists
After receiving the award, Villarroya wanted to highlight the influence of several researchers on her own professional path. She specifically mentioned María Mittelbrunn, a world reference in immunosenescence, along with Guadalupe Sabio, Almudena Ramiro, and Ana Ortega, scientists who, as she explained, continue to be a source of inspiration for her daily work and embody the type of leadership she aspires to convey to new generations.