Since I was a child until the age of fifteen, the Chilean scientific Valentina Parra's dream was to become a marine biologist. The programs he saw on television, account, over the ocean and the mysteries that exist in it - in particular, The underwater world of Jacques Cousteau-, They obsessed it with studying the bottom of the sea. But one morning, in its second half Biology class, the teacher allowed him to close his eyes for the first time under a microscope. At that time, says, was born another obsession: Discover the cellular world.

-I fell in love with cells, understanding them as units of life - says Dr. in biochemistry, 37-year-olds—. It fascinated me that I knew little of them, some of their structures and performances will recognize. I always liked to watch, and when I could see through a microscope, There was no turning back. There I decided that it would consider as small.

Today, Parra divides its research between the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology University of Chile; the Advanced Center for chronic diseases (FONDAP ACCDIS); the Exercise Research Center, Metabolism and Cancer; and the Centre for research in Autophagy. In 2003, undergraduate student, She was a scholarship to spend a season at the University of Liverpool - where he learned to use cutting-edge technologies, as confocal and bifotonica - microscopy, and in 2014 he moved to the University of Texas to do a postdoctoral fellowship. At both sites, account, He investigated one of the essential components of every cell: the mitochondria, This little engine that allows you to generate the necessary energy for its operation.

Four years ago he returned to Chile and was awarded a project Regular Fondecyt, with which is today investigating variability in mitochondrial energy production, and its relationship with cardiac pathologies suffered by people with Down's syndrome at an early age. That flow management, says biochemistry, It could be the key to combating one of the leading causes of death in patients with that condition, since they could perhaps be prevented with changes in the diet of mothers during pregnancy.

These investigations were which meant you, in June of this year, receiving the prize for the best scientific year, delivered by the Chilean Academy of Sciences. An award that seeks to stimulate Chilean scientists under the age of 40 and promote their work, in order to help to reduce the gap that historically it has hurt this genre, both as a recognition within the scientific world access. For this reason, says the winner, It is very important that the society and the Academy continue opening spaces where women who make science in Chile are recognized. And these same give the example that will come.

-This award recognizes your career when it is still short and tells you that you are on the right track - says Valentina Parra-. It is essential, especially because science is not something that usually you promote when you're a girl. Not so with engineering or technological careers. That's a responsibility that women scientists also need to take.

-Do the task yourself must deal with it?

-It is a very large task, because you have to know how to encourage girls to pass by this and enjoy it, because it is exciting. It is a responsibility of all and we are taking important steps to. But above all the scientists that we are recognized have the task of marking the girls, a message to those who come after.

-How?

-For example, They proposed to me working with the pair explores of the Metropolitan North Region, and I accepted because I believe that the responsibility will there: encouraging and engaging girls with scientific areas. But there is a world problem: investment in science remains low and we can not encourage just that more and more girls enter and form, We also need to create opportunities to ensure the scientific future workforce.

-Do you think that scientists should leave the laboratories?

-This is another responsibility we have in the scientific world: freshly made ten or five years we began to realize that we are not an elite. Above all, in countries like ours, where the contribution of the State is essential to develop the science and private investment is minority. We have a duty to know what do everyone, It is not the scientific field, and explain why our work is important.

-This is something that many are already making.

-There is good provision, and our eyes about the need to disclose has changed a lot. If the society does not know the contributions that we make, Why should it be understood that part of their taxes are earmarked for our work? We have to worry about generating important investigations, Yes, but also communicated to all.

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