UNAB Women Recognized in the «Periodic Table of Women Scientists» by the Library of Congress

To commemorate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated every February 11, the Library of the National Congress created the «Periodic Table of Women Scientists.» This initiative highlights the contributions of 118 women, including several from Universidad Andrés Bello.

The women from our university who were chosen on this occasion are the Dean of Research and Doctoral Studies, Carolina Torrealba; the academic from the School of Life Sciences, Verónica Burzio; the researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB) of the School of Medicine, Brigitte Van Zundert.

Additionally, Barbarita Lara was recognized for receiving the Ada Byron 2022 Award from UNAB and for her role as an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Engineering.

These women were honored for their academic achievements, professional contributions, and the impact of their work, as detailed in short bios.

Highlights of the Recognized Scientists from Universidad Andrés Bello

Carolina Torrealba, Dean of Research and Doctoral Studies at UNAB

Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology and a B.Sc. in Biology from the Universidad Católica de Chile.

Her professional development includes serving as the Dean of Research and Doctoral Studies at Universidad Andrés Bello. She previously directed projects and served on the Executive Committee of the Science & Life Foundation, where she established the Science & Life Publishing House and led the creation of a digital archive for national scientific documentation. She is also a member of Fundación Chile and the INCAR Center.

Her achievements and contributions include being Chile’s first Undersecretary of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation, where she led the creation of the institution’s Gender Policy. She was the Executive Director of the Millennium Science Initiative and author of Pioneers, the beginning of experimental biology in chile. Among her awards is the Manuel Montt Prize in the scientific category for her work on experimental biology, awarded by the University of Chile.

Verónica Burzio, Academic at the School of Life Sciences at UNAB

Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology and Neuroscience from Universidad de Chile; Biochemist from Universidad Austral de Chile.

Her professional development includes serving as an academic at the School of Life Sciences and as an Adjunct Researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, at Universidad Andrés Bello.

She was formerly a research associate at the Science & Life Foundation. Her research focuses on non-coding RNAs in cancer therapy (both human and veterinary), viral infections, and mitochondrial transfer.

Her achievements include contributions based on ncmtRNAs that have shown results in reducing tumor growth and metastasis in animal models. She has also co-founded initiatives to promote female participation in STEM.

Among her awards, she was nominated and inducted into the Sigma Xi Honor Society of the USA (2023).

Brigitte Van Zundert, Researcher at the ICB of School of Medicine at UNAB

Postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, USA; Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, specializing in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Universidad de Concepción, Chile; M.Sc. in Molecular Biology from Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands; Biochemistry from Hogeschool West-Brabant, The Netherlands.

Her professional development includes serving as a full professor and researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICB), School of Medicine, Universidad Andrés Bello. She specializes in neuroscience related to learning, memory, neurodegeneration, and diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Her research explores neuronal plasticity and neuroepigenetics, contributing to the understanding of the pathological mechanisms underlying these diseases.

Among her achievements and contributions, she has led and participated as the principal investigator in national projects (e.g., FONDECYT, CONICYT-DRI, ANILLO, BASAL) and international projects (e.g., ALS Therapy Alliance, ALS Association, FightMND). She currently leads the Millennium Nucleus (EpiNeuro), EXPLORACION, FONDECYT, and LifeArc (UK).

Her contributions have led to significant advances in understanding the mechanisms underlying neuronal function in health and disease, with more than 50 internationally recognized publications. She is developing biomarker tools for ALS/FTD.

Among her awards, her biography is featured in the book «Mujeres Científicas en Chile» published by Universidad Alberto Hurtado (2024).

She was recognized as one of the «Women Leaders of the Country» by El Mercurio (2022). She was also selected among the most outstanding young scientists by the Chilean Society of Biology, recognizing her impact and leadership in neuroscience in Chile (2010). She received the award for the best doctoral thesis from the Chilean Foundation of Cell Biology (2004).

She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Technology from Universidad Andrés Bello, Chile, and a Computer Science Engineering degree from Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María.

Barbarita Lara, Academic at the School of Engineering at UNAB

Her professional development includes serving as an academic at the School of Engineering, promoting innovation and technology in the training of future engineers.

She is the CEO and co-founder of EMERCOM, a technology company focused on emergency communication systems. She is also the Head of the SiE Project, the Regional Director of Girls in Tech in Chile, and an Advisor on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Technology Transfer at the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María. She leads initiatives to promote STEAM education and empower women in technology. Through the Micro Bit project, developed by the BBC, she trains teachers in programming and is recognized as an expert in cybersecurity. Her work extends to health projects centered on artificial intelligence platforms for the early detection of congenital heart diseases, driving technological advancements with social impact.

Among her achievements and contributions, she has dedicated her career to social innovation and STEAM education as the CEO of EMERCOM and leader of the SiE Project, a platform known for its impact on emergency management. She has developed community early warning systems and led health-related projects, including AI platforms for detecting congenital heart diseases.

She collaborates with CERPO to create the largest database of congenital malformations in Latin America. She has been a speaker, author, advisor, and mentor.

She has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the ‘More Women in Innovation’ Award by Forbes (2024). She was recognized on the ‘Icons of Engineering’ Map on National Engineering Day in the UK by Women Open Innovation (2023). She received the ‘100 Women Leaders in Science, Technology, Innovation, and Talent’ award from the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) and London Metro (2023). She was also honored with the ‘Ada Byron Award: Woman Technologist of Chile’ by Universidad de Deusto and Universidad Andrés Bello (2022). She was named ‘Innovative Chilean of the Year’ and ‘Chilean Inventor of the Year’ by NATIDA (2018). Additionally, she was recognized as one of the ‘100 Women Leaders’ by El Mercurio and Mujeres Empresarias (2020, 2018). She won the ‘Chilean Innovator’ Award and was a finalist at the World Summit Award Global Congress (2018). She was listed among the ‘Innovators Under 35 LATAM’ by MIT Technology Review (2018). She was acknowledged as a ‘Gifted Citizen’ by Ciudad de las Ideas (2017) and named one of the ’20 Young Leaders of the V Region’ by Fundación Piensa (2017). She received recognition for leadership in technological innovation from the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) (2017). She secured First Place in ‘Leaders in Innovation Fellowship’ by the Royal Academy of Engineering (2016). She also won the Innovation Award at the Software Fair UTFSM (2016) and was named Outstanding Technology Entrepreneur of the V Region by Girls in Tech Chile (2015).

Selection Criteria

The 118 selected women come from ten scientific fields: astronomy; biology, zoology, and botany; agricultural, marine, and environmental sciences; physics; geology; engineering, technology, and innovation; mathematics; medicine, biotechnology, biochemistry; paleontology; and chemistry.

The initiative seeks to recognize the key role women play in the Chilean scientific community. The selection criteria were as follows:

• National and International Awards: Women who have received recognition for their scientific contributions.
• Pioneers: Women who ventured into a scientific field traditionally dominated by men.
• Contribution to Dissemination: Scientists who help make knowledge more accessible.
• Knowledge Generation: Women recognized for their contributions to scientific knowledge in their field.
• Academic Career: Scientists acknowledged for their role in educating and mentoring new generations.