12/02/2024

To celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science, CRC presents each day of the week a portrait of a CRC woman scientist.

Patricia de la Cruz Ojeda, 29, is a post-doctoral fellow in Jessica Zucman-Rossi’s team, working on the genetics of liver cancer. She joined CRC after completing her thesis at the Institute of Biomedicine in Seville (Spain) in April 2023.

• What is your research topic?

I’m working on liver cancer, and I’m investigating whether mutations are linked to specific pathological situations, such as alcohol abuse. As a postdoc, I consider myself to be still in training.

• Why biology research?

My choice of this profession has been a true vocation since childhood. My mother reminds me that even as a child, I used to play at experimenting with everything I could get my hands on.

• Is there a woman scientist who has inspired you?

I always think of a postdoc in my lab in Spain who never left her job despite the many difficulties linked to her contract, lack of resources and lack of recognition.

• Is there anything you’d like to say as a woman in science?

A conviction: in science as elsewhere, women have to fight to change their status, no one will do it for them.

• Any changes, improvements or developments that would make life easier for women in science?

I think it’s absolutely essential to set up mentoring programs for young female researchers, to enable them to break through the glass ceiling and reach the highest levels of responsibility.

• A key word in the context of Women in Science Day?

Perseverance