Rebeca Sanz Pamplona: «There are women in science, but few in leadership positions»

The newspaper 'La Comarca' interviews Rebeca Sanz, researcher in cancer immunomics and biomarkers at the IIS Aragón. She brought ASEICA's 'Conócelas' program to the classrooms of the CRA Bajo Martín

The Urreana was the face of the scientists for the students of the CRA Bajo Martín, whose classrooms she passed to explain what their work is but, above all, to show that the researchers are women with normal and ordinary lives. It is the fourth year that she has participated in this program promoted by ASEICA at the state level on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, but it is the first in which he gives these talks in schools. In addition to several centers in Zaragoza and its province, in Teruel they were centralized in the CRA Bajo Martín, which includes the classrooms of La Puebla de Híjar, Samper de Calanda, Vinaceite and Urrea de Gaén, the school where she studied. "I show them photos of when I went to that same school and it's funny, they are very surprised," she says. The Biologist already went out to study in Barcelona and began her career there until in 2021 she was able to return to Aragon without giving up her career.. Celebrate that progress continues in research, and in the conditions of the research career itself. However, although Yes, there is parity in studies, the same does not happen when it comes to continuing a career and reaching positions of responsibility.. "In schools I don't explain it because they are very small, but in institutes we do analyze it, it is that in the figure of principal researcher we will be 30% compared to 70% men," he adds. She has three research projects underway, so she foresees “prosperous years,” although she is always cautious because “you never know with financing.” She trusts that this return home will be definitive.

What assessment do you make of the talks at the CRA Bajo Martín, your home?

The objective was to show that we are people with ordinary lives, that we are not like Doc from 'Back to the Future', who appears in some game I make for them. I insist that they take advantage of each subject because they will all need them. In science, English or language to write projects or publish are necessary. Being a CRA, the ages were varied and they asked everything, from if I knew their aunt to what I had studied. I enjoyed it and I think you liked it.

I make the question of the little ones my own: how did he know his way?

I wanted to be an archaeologist, a librarian, a teacher... I was curious but I didn't know how to materialize it until the Kings brought me the Micronova and I was fascinated. In high school it was clear to me but Biology is very broad. The last year of my degree I took the Molecular Biology of Cancer elective and I didn't hesitate.

In an indispensable profession, what needs to change? Slogans like 'precarious interns' resonated deeply.

As a predoctoral student we did not even have Social Security and it was achieved because we fought a lot. It is still very difficult to get a permanent position and you are getting scholarships. The average age of stabilization is over 40. Many people drop out. And there is still a lot of bureaucracy: launching a project means seeking funding for research and personnel.

Many people leave it or go away.

Also. And many leave to apply for aid in Spain that requires having left.

Is it a penalty not to have gone abroad?

A lot. There is a lot of controversy. I skipped the step because the opportunity came up to work for a year with an oncologist. I have always tried to like projects more than going with the flow and I have compensated the resume with other things. That it is valued seems good to me, but that it is a requirement that it weighs so much... I don't know. Now I am with a project with North Americans and I speak with the Californian colleague from Urrea.

Can you be a scientist from a rural environment?

I do bioinformatics and I work with a server that I can connect to from anywhere and in Urrea we have very good fiber optics. At least two days a week I go to Zaragoza by train from La Puebla.

Is conciliation possible?

At IIS we have flexible hours and it has given me life and peace of mind. Sometimes the investigation takes time and maybe you launch processes to the server and they run for hours. With two children I organize myself better.

Women and science, what is the relationship like?

In STEM careers and, especially bio careers, there are more girls than boys. The problem comes later, there are few who reach leadership positions because motherhood or caring for parents, for example, is penalized and many leave it or are downgraded. In principal researchers we are 30%. An older man told me that ideas come out when "we are last." And it is so, but we cannot stay for extended coffees. Things are changing. We make alliances and talk at other times.

How do you see Aragón in research?

Okay, there's a lot of movement now. They have just announced that the annual congress of the Spanish Cancer Research Association will be in Zaragoza. It's a good sign.

I don't know if it's a private perception, but is it spreading more?

Yes, and we talk and collaborate among ourselves and that also attracts more people. An important network is being created. ASPANOA or the AECC help a lot.

In what sense?

Through the activities they promote they actually obtain funding with which they attract researchers. I have always thought that the money has to come from the public, but now that I have met them it is admirable. And they distribute resources very well with a good evaluation process.

What projects are you working on now?

One is about lung metastases, which I started in Barcelona and they financed me in Aragon. Another is a collaboration with Nacho Aguiló on how cells that come from an organ that is very different such as the colon or the skin, once in the lung it seems that they all have characteristics in common to evade the immune system. We are going to start the third project with ASPANOA to see if the vaccines that have been talked about lately could work in children. We will first investigate it only with bioinformatics.

What is known about these vaccines?

They are not cancer vaccines as is being said, they are very individualized treatments. They recognize a patient's tumor and eliminate it, but only that one. Research continues and we want to see what path it may have in childhood cancer.

Is the balance between disclosure and creating expectations a challenge?

You have to be careful. We make mistakes or reach conclusions that two years later turn out to be wrong. Science is like that. Studying a disease does not mean that we are going to cure it, we are here to understand it. I wish I were left without a job but there is still a way to go. However, although not so quickly, a lot of progress is being made.

Source: The Shire

Photography: Asier Alkorta – Aspanoa