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The IIS Aragón scientist has been recognized with the L'Oréal-UNESCO "For Women in Science" 2025 award for her pioneering approach to combating pancreatic cancer from tumor biomechanics with the aim of improving the delivery of treatments to the tumor by modulating the physical environment of the cancer.
The program L'Oréal-UNESCO 'For Women in Science' On Thursday, June 12, he recognized Alejandra González Loyola along with four other award winners at the Teatro Real in Madrid during the 19th edition of its 'Research Awards' in Spain, an event that brought together prominent figures from the scientific, academic and institutional fields to recognize the work of five young scientists. These awards, endowed with five scholarships of 15.000 euros each, aim to promote female leadership and make young talent in science visible in our country.
The Madrid scientist, now based in Zaragoza, has been recognized for her innovative biomechanical approach to stop the progression of one of the most lethal tumors.
A complex tumor, with a new approach
El Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the most aggressive and difficult cancers to treat.Aware of this medical emergency, Madrid-based scientist Alejandra González Loyola is working on an unusual approach: intervene not only on the tumor cells, but also on the physical environment in which they develop.
Her research is based on a clear premise: pancreatic cancer is highly fibrotic and mechanically complex. During its progression, interstitial fluid accumulates, exerting high pressure, impeding proper blood circulation and limiting the delivery of medications. Her project proposes temporarily inducing the formation of lymphatic vessels to relieve this pressure and thus enhance the effectiveness of treatments such as chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
International and multidisciplinary career
Graduated in Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Salamanca and PhD in Molecular Biosciences from the Autonomous University of Madrid, Alejandra has developed a career with international projection. He has worked at leading centers such as the CNIO (Madrid), the MRC Imperial College London, and the University of Lausanne, where he received awards such as the University of Lausanne Award of Excellence for Young Researchers.
Currently he is working on Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón) with two leading groups in cancer and bioengineering: that of Dr. Patricia Sancho, focused on patient-derived models, and that of Prof. JM García Aznar, an expert in biomedical engineering.
Real impact for patients and the future of oncology
González Loyola's proposal not only could it increase the effectiveness of existing treatments, but also reduce the use of animal models thanks to advanced devices that simulate human tumors.This strategy has the potential to improve patients' lives, reduce hospital costs and accelerate the development of new treatments.", says Alejandra. In addition, her approach is considered extrapolable to other tumors with complex environments, such as colorectal cancer, and represents a commitment to more precise and less invasive personalized medicine.
Award that motivates and inspires
The L'Oréal-UNESCO recognition comes at a key moment for consolidating her scientific career in Spain. Thanks to the award, she will be able to continue exploring her hypothesis and develop new lines of research.This award gives me the confidence and the means to continue moving forward. But, above all, it highlights our work and can inspire future scientists to follow this path.", He emphasizes.
In a landscape where only 11% of senior projects are led by women, Alejandra claims the importance of promoting female role models in science: "There are many young female researchers in Spain, but few of us reach leadership positions. I think this gap also exists in the rest of the world, but progress is being made. In Spain, we're quite aware of this and we're doing well, but we must continue to move forward.".
Another award-winner in Madrid is investigating how to awaken the immune system against cancer.
Along with Alejandra González Loyola, the Zaragoza researcher has also been awarded Carolina Villarroya Beltri, currently residing in Madrid and linked to the Severo Ochoa Center for Molecular Biology (CBMSO-CSIC). Her project focuses on unraveling how the immune system is able to detect tumor cells with an incorrect number of chromosomes, called aneuploidies, which are present in most cancers. The goal is to understand this process to develop new immunotherapy strategies, thus opening up new avenues for treating different types of cancer through the body's own response. With a distinguished career at centers such as the CNIO and the National Cancer Institute in the US, Villarroya recently began her career as an independent researcher at one of the leading biomedical centers in the Spanish capital.
L'Oréal – UNESCO 'For Women in Science', a benchmark for promoting research
Created in 1998 and present in more than 110 countries, the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science program has recognized more than 4.100 female scientists since its inception, including Spaniards Margarita Salas and Ángela Nieto, as well as seven Nobel Prize winners, including Katalin Karikó and Jennifer Doudna, among others. Alternating every two years between Life Sciences and Materials Sciences, these exceptional researchers, selected by a jury of internationally renowned experts, are awarded €7 to fund their research and continue their exceptional contributions to scientific progress.
The national version of these awards, with which L'Oréal and UNESCO have recognized the research of five young female scientists in Spain for 19 years, has promoted a total of 92 winners who have received grants worth more than €1,4 million.
