:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/LCOBO24O5FDQZJ2YAKCIA2NOGQ.png "Catia Cilloniz, a Peruvian scientist studying pneumonia in Spain: “We all have the opportunity to do something for others”")
The world around us is made up of a microcosm that is invisible to our naked eyes, but has a huge impact on our lives. bacteria, Virusand other microorganisms are part of our daily lives and, despite their small size, they can cause real disasters.
Because of their importance, thousands of people around the world choose to study them, understand them, and build on them, Reduce negative impact These can exist in humans.
That’s the case with doctors Catia Cilloniz Campos, associate professor at the University of Barcelona and pneumonia researcher at the Biomedical Research Center of Respiratory Diseases NetworkNicknamed “Peruvian High,” he dedicated much of his life to the study of pneumonia, an infection that affects the lungs and continues to wreak havoc today, especially among children and vulnerable people.
for peru information networkKatia tells part of her story and what it’s like to be dedicated to science.
arrive Katia She was given her first microscope when she was a child, and ever since she has been fascinated by the tiny but impressive vastness of the world that hides behind simple observations.born in HuancayoGrowing up in a family with four siblings, she was encouraged by her parents from an early age, which awakened her natural curiosity and motivated her to Quickly became passionate about science.
“My dad and mom were always behind us, teaching us and encouraging us to read, so we were always interested in all kinds of things, history, science; science attracted me more (…) At school, that’s what I loved Something I remember a lot, where I decided to study biology. It was not my first choice, the first was medicine, But we already know how difficult it is to apply for a career in medicine.so in the end I decided to choose biology,” said the researcher, who took her first steps at the professional level Perufully aware that at some point it will be necessary to step away in order to continue growing and enhancing their knowledge.
“I worked in a molecular biology lab in oncology, studying viruses that cause cancer, and then worked at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Peru, where they studied viruses like dengue, yellow fever, or hantaviruses, and I decided “I The only way to do a PhD was to go abroad, because in my time there were no PhDs in Peru,” he said.
The opportunities the Peruvian scientist had at home paved the way for her to move abroad.So, in order to seek his own career development, he started Spain, considering all the challenges that people who leave their home country typically face.He pointed out It wasn’t easy at the beginningHowever, he eventually adapted to the change and successfully completed his career. PhD from University of Valencia and write a paper University of Barcelona.
“Eventually, you immerse yourself in your thing, you come to study, you come to research, you spend almost a whole day doing it. This change is strong, but it is not a terrible thing, “He said. despite this, Yes, as a woman in science she faces some challenges..
“It’s always difficult for women because For some reason they underestimated usbut I’ve treated it as secret weapon, there silently advancing little by little, at least they have realized, because I have managed to stand out.It’s hard because you realize that sometimes they put you aside because you’re a woman and that science is really male-dominated and most of the great scientists are men and we’re already Nobel Prize, there are few women and many men, but this is changing. “Europe is open, it welcomes people, that has changed and I take it as an experience, whether it’s good or bad that happened to me,” he said.
On the other hand, she explained that she classifies herself as a “24/7” person, referring to the hard work that comes with making a living in science.
“i never stopbecause when you’re writing a research article or you’re doing some work, you don’t just spend eight hours, but at home you say, “Ah, look, now that I’ve finished reading, I have to start writing.” So You don’t have a fixed schedule, you are a scientist“Your mind is always thinking,” he emphasizes.
This Peruvian researcher is not only passionate about the world of science; The human side balances his life and his dedication.
The choice of pneumonia as the focus of her research was not accidental but responded to Katia’s desire to contribute a “grain of sand” to improve the conditions of thousands of people around the world suffering from this potentially fatal disease, especially in less developed countries. Just like ours.
“My doctoral thesis focused on the whole microbial etiology of pneumonia, and from that moment on I was 100 percent focused on working on this disease, because when you write a doctoral thesis, in order to defend it, you have to have a clear idea that you are What was there was that I realized the importance of this disease, it has a vaccine And it’s preventable; however, until now we’re seeing it have high mortality rates worldwide (…) What I’m seeing is inequalityPneumonia can be fatal in wealthy countries, but treating people with multiple illnesses, the elderly, or immune system problems is difficult; but Child deaths in poor countries, that is, this is something that should not be seen. In our country, Peru, we see in the news every year the deaths of children, especially in the Andean highlands, and I don’t think it’s a fair thing because I know there are vaccines and many ways to prevent it,” he lamented.
In this sense, one of its contributions is related to the development diagnosis method This allows Faster detection The pathogen that causes pneumonia, shortens the time from nearly 24 hours to just 2 hours. As a result, better outcomes can be achieved, but he noted that there are still some limitations, such as those related to surgical standardization issues.
It is worth mentioning that Dr. Cilloniz is also the founder of the company Pneumonia Relatives and Patients Support and Information Association, designed to provide people with the disease with information to prevent them from developing health complications in the future.This is again Pneumonia Relatives and Patients Support and Information Associationfor Catia, this is a perfect opportunity to raise awareness about this dangerous disease.
“When you publish articles, you understand them, all researchers and doctors understand them, but the public does not understand what you are saying (…) There is no point in publishing articles if you can’t help anyone; because to me Saying that the only thing publishing so many articles gives me is that I look good on my resume, but this is something I am not interested in, I am interested in helping others and I do it through this association. There I can translate all these articles into simpler language so that people can understand them, I think that’s a very important point,” he stressed.
The time that her compatriots devoted themselves to research was not in vain, and it also brought her great satisfaction.Now is mother of twins She assured them that they would be happy to inherit the enthusiasm and curiosity she possessed.
Established barcelonain order to realize a dream that he had paid so much to realize, he also devoted himself to teaching and supporting young university students in their final year projects and research.
On the other hand, it has also received several recognitions, such as Special Doctoral Award for the Best Medical Thesis from the University of Barcelona and was recognized as Fellow of the European Respiratory Society (ERS). She is also the creator of the project Global Pneumonia Awareness Campaignhe recounted the experience with great pride peru information network.
“I led this campaign to try to educate the world about pneumonia. We are very lucky that we have the support of the Global Alliance, which has the largest organization fighting pneumonia, and we unicef, save the child, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, so the movement is a member of the Alliance, so we are able to host a world conference every year.We got to do it in Peru this year because we saw Coronavirus The mortality rate from pneumonia is very high in this country.What we plan to do next year, and what we do every two years, is light up the monument in blue to commemorate world pneumonia day (…) Two years ago we managed to illuminate 350 monuments in 52 countries around the world and we hope to exceed this number by 2024,” he said.
The Peruvian scientist also noted the impact her achievements have on young people like her seeking careers in science.
“I’m happy to know that I can help other people in this area and that I can influence other people to go down this path. I believe that all professions have their empathy part and we all have the opportunity to do something for others and that’s what we Things that have been put aside, but I think it’s important that we remember it and give ourselves even five minutes,” he expressed.
She also shared a powerful message describing the long and complicated road she traveled to gain recognition. “You have to bring this little thorn in your side, your curiosity and Don’t be afraid of what’s going to happenIf one fails, then one fails and it is an experience; if everything goes well, then everything goes well and it is a good experience (…) A dream come true As long as you fall behind, you won’t be tired after the first fall. You hit rock bottom, but you can’t hit rock bottom anymore, so all you have to do is keep going, and that’s true, that’s my experience,” he concluded.