Last Tuesday, February 13, the Institute for Research, Development and Innovation in Health Biotechnology of Elche (IDiBE-UMH), coinciding with the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, organized a new day of Science with tapas. The activity took place for the first time at the University’s headquarters in Plaça de Baix in the center of Elche and was well attended by the public.
After the welcome words from María del Mar Ortega-Villaizán, the new IDiBE dissemination manager, she thanked Luis Pérez for the work he has done all these years as dissemination manager and introduced the two IDiBE-UMH researchers who were going to intervene. at the conference: Dr. Marcela Giudici, member of the research group “Structure-function relationships in ion channels”; and Dr. Nuria Martí, head of the research group “Development of functional ingredients”. He also introduced Gabriel Estañ, IDiBE Innovation Agent, who gave a brief presentation of the Institute and its social networks.
Dr. Marcela Giudici began by talking about how she began her path in scientific research and specifically her studies in Biology in Mar de Plata (Argentina). In 1999 he traveled to Elche for the first time and joined what was previously the IBMC, currently IDiBE, at the Miguel Hernández University. He did his doctorate between Spain and Argentina thanks to a mixed doctoral scholarship. He later obtained his doctorate in Argentina. After different postdoctoral stages, his research work has always been a coming and going between Spain and Argentina with which he maintains contacts and collaborations. Dr. Giudici thanked the people who taught her to work in Molecular Biology in Argentina and Spain and in particular Dr. José Manuel González Ros, director of the IBMC in those years. He also spoke about his time as a teacher at both the University of Mar de Plata and the Miguel Hernández University. She is currently working as a researcher in the Structure-Function Relationships in Ion Channels group led by Dr. José Antonio Poveda and ended by briefly explaining the importance of ion channels in physiological processes.
Likewise, Dr. Nuria Martí began by talking about her research and business vocation and reviewed her training as a scientist. He commented that he studied Agronomists and graduated in Oenology and worked at CEBAS with pomegranate juice. She received her doctorate in 2004. Dr. Martí explained that she was fortunate to join a multidisciplinary team and highlighted the importance of working in the Orihuela pilot plant, which provided her with industrial-level experience and allowed her to create the first spin -off (Nutracitrus) from the UMH. Subsequently, and thanks to a postdoctoral fellowship, he was able to stay at highly prestigious research centers first in Canada and later in California. He also pointed out that the important thing is to have clear objectives and advised the students to go outside and not be afraid of challenges. Finally, he explained his lines of research related to functional drinks and the circular economy for waste management.
Afterwards, the audience opened the floor for questions and they enjoyed some tapas and drinks.
You can see the full presentation at this link: