I’m currently an undergraduate international student, coursing the 7th semester of Biomedical Sciences at the Universidade Federal das Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA – Brazil). Ever since I was 12 years old I knew I wanted to become a “scientist” in the future, and closer to my high school graduation I figured I wanted to focus on research in the health sciences. Today I’m sure I want to do research in the Neurological Sciences mainly because there’s so much that’s unknown that every day you learn something new about your own brain, your own state of mind and your own perception of life. I would like to eventually focus my work on neuroplasticity and proteomics in neurodegenerative diseases. 

I was born and lived in Bolivia for over 18 years and, luckily, I attended an international school which had a very good scientific approach compared to others, and opened my eyes to seek a better future abroad. That’s where I figured out my love for science, especially with my biology and chemistry teachers at the time, and how the lab is my second home. On the other hand, ever since I was 5 years old, I wanted to be a ballerina, which I could only accomplish 6 years later and until today it’s been 11 years since ballet is part of my every-day life. I’ve also been a musician for a while, formed a band that represented my school and played at various festivals, where we won a variety of prizes. Today, I still grab my guitar every now and then, so I can say that the stage is also my second home.