Catuxa Cerecedo is a postdoctoral researcher at CEAB-CSIC, and part of the Mosquito Alert team. On the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11F), we asked her to tell us about her career and where she is now.
The beginnings of her career
Her passion for science began in high school, where biology became her favourite subject, leading her to study it for her bachelor’s degree. Later, she specialised in biodiversity management and restoration. However, it was not always clear to her that she wanted to go into research. There was one key person along the way who helped her make that decision: a biochemistry professor at the university. She encouraged her to apply for scholarships and do an exchange to Mexico. “She made me realise that science is not only about studying, but also about travelling, asking questions, developing your curiosity and expanding your network”. This was what led her to choose research.
From conservation to predictive modelling
Her doctoral research focused on the conservation of the Egyptian vulture, an endangered bird. However, her real interest has always been in the models and methodologies used. “For me it’s not about what species is being studied, but how it is being studied. I’m interested in quantifying data and finding out what connections are hidden”.
Currently, her postdoctoral research focuses on integrating databases to model the distribution of the tiger mosquito and predict its spread. “We use both data from biologists in the field and citizen science databases, such as Mosquito Alert, to produce species distribution models and analyse how their distribution might evolve in the future”.
The Mosquito Alert team is multidisciplinary, something that, according to Catuxa, adds a lot of value:
“I had never worked with professionals from the fields of sociology, physics or mathematics, and now I see that such a diverse team provides a more global context, providing answers from different fields”.
She also highlights the notable presence of women in the team, something she particularly values.
Overcoming challenges in science
“My achievement is to have made it this far”. Catuxa considers it a significant achievement in her scientific career to have reached her current position, and she believes that this message should be passed on to future researchers in training and postdocs.
Like many women in research, she has faced gender challenges. She has experienced situations where she has felt invisible in meetings, although not always, but sometimes her voice seemed to carry less weight than those of her peers.
Impostor syndrome has also been present in her career. “I felt I had to prove myself much more. In the field of conservation biology, for example, my experience tells me that there are far fewer women in leadership positions”. However, finding support networks among other female researchers helped her to understand and cope with these experiences.
“Seeing that other fellow PhD students felt the same way made me realise that it was not an individual problem”.
Researchers Report 2023 by the CSIC’s Women and Science Commission, women represent 42 % of researchers in Spain. However, this percentage drops to 37.6 % when considering only female researchers in permanent positions, which shows the obstacles they face to progress in their scientific careers.
A message
Throughout her career, Catuxa has learned that having female role models is key to advancing in a scientific career.
“When you start out, having someone to guide you and inspire you is fundamental, it can make all the difference”, she says.
That is why she encourages young women interested in science to surround themselves with people who support them and help them believe in their own potential.
References
- CSIC. (2023). Informe Mujeres Investigadoras 2023. Comisión de Mujeres y Ciencia del CSIC.
