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Matilde de las Rivas (Logroño, 1989) is a researcher at Certest Biotec and her thesis has been awarded as the best in Health Sciences. She has a degree in Chemistry and Biochemistry and a doctorate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Zaragoza.
He has obtained the Enrique Fuentes Quintana award for the best national doctoral thesis in the Health Sciences category, that is much more than cum laude.
It means that, in that area – which was attended by more than 160 people – it is the best thesis presented by Spaniards in any university in the world or by foreigners in a Spanish university. That is why recognition like this has an international level. Furthermore, my thesis is very basic science, the crudest of science, so the award has also been an endorsement of fundamental science.
"Science in general and basic science in particular has to be recognized every day"
Risk of depression, anxiety... They say that preparing the thesis is not very good for your health.
You suffer a lot. This award is a huge source of pride, but I would like people to be aware that all young researchers who do their thesis suffer every day and that science in general and basic science in particular has to be recognized every day.
In your case, how many years are there behind an award-winning thesis?
It has been four years of not knowing when it was the weekend, of working 13 hours a day, of absolute, vocational involvement, which often involves tolerating frustration, working even if things don't work out, having a thousand plans B... He suffers a lot.
Worth?
Yes. But you suffer a lot and most of the time you are not lucky enough to receive the award that I have received and that does not make your work any less important. It's great to receive thousands of congratulations, but, above all, we need visibility of what is done every day. Because it's hard, yes.
And support is also needed.
I completed my thesis funded by a research initiation grant from the Government of Aragon. Without these scholarships it would be impossible for young people to do their doctoral thesis, because it is a very full-time job. Normally you are already over 25 years old and want to start working.
You focused on sugars and proteins.
Proteins that add sugars, which are like labels and help cells communicate with each other and know how their neighbors are doing, at what point in their growth they are. When these sugars are not added correctly, there are signals that misinform and are related to uncontrolled growth processes such as metastasis in cancers. We have managed to 'photograph' the reaction, how that first sugar is added, and we have proposed the first step for the development of inhibitors, the molecules from which drugs are made.
"In Spain there is now specific aid for research into covid, which is very good, but arrives late. If there was always funding for basic science, we would be better prepared"
After a long road, of course.
You have to understand that I do not get a drug from my thesis, but without a thesis like mine, drugs cannot be developed. Without understanding in depth, you would go blind. There is a lot of basic research behind the drugs that go on sale. We are seeing it with the covid vaccine, which will come out of a laboratory; It is the biochemists, chemists and pharmacists who work day and night on this. In Spain there is now specific aid for research into covid, which is very good, but arrives late. If there was always funding for basic science, we would be better prepared.
