Can
a Latino woman from a small village distinguish herself in the world
of science?
TRIVIA
A scientist committed to the community, she ran for Governor
of her native state at the head of minority political party.
She lost the election. |
Maria
Esther Orozco Orozco, with a BSc in chemistry from the University
of Chihuahua and a PhD from the Center for Research and Advanced
Studies (Cinvestav) of the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico,
was born in San Isidro, a small village of 1500 people on the outskirts
of the Sierra Madre, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
In
1981, working for the Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology
at Cinvestav, she started training a group of researchers to study
the factors of amoeba virulence.
HER
FAMILY
She has been able to work as a full time researcher since her
need for love and personal feelings has been fully met by Tomas
Sanchez, the man she married 33 years ago, and her children
Sofia Alejandra and Julio Cesar. |
After
16 years of research, she was awarded the Pasteur Medal by the Pasteur
Institute in France and the United Nations Education, Science and
Culture Organization (UNESCO) for her findings on the molecular
and genetic structure of amoebas.
Due
to parasitosis, Amoebiasis is the second leading cause of death
in the world, following Malaria.
With
her findings, Dr. Orozco has created a significant, real opportunity
based on scientific information, to get a vaccine against this disease,
a true threat to public health in poor countries.
The
base of the pyramid of good living is made by good knowledge.
|
She
feels a strong sense of solidarity and says: When we were
granted the Pasteur Medal it was a true celebration for me, my family,
my work team, the people of Chihuahua, Mexicans and all the Latin
American people.
It
was a recognition to the talent in our countries
we feel just
as proud when the Brazilian soccer team wins
or when we read
the work of Garcia Marquez
or when amoebas are studied
Two
things are necessary for success, the Latino spirit and being a
woman. When you as a Latino or as a woman find yourself in an international
forum, you have the big responsibility for showing youve got
all it takes to be taken seriously.
HER
ALTER EGO
Maria Esther Orozco's heritage includes many teachers. Her grandmother
was a teacher; her uncles and aunts were teachers; her brothers
and sisters are teachers; she herself was a teacher in grammar
school, secondary school and senior high school while she was
studying at the university. |
In
addition to the Pasteur Medal, Dr. Orozco has been granted the National
Miguel Otero Prize, the Rosenkranz Prize, the Guggenheim Fellowship,
the Fogerty Scholarship. She is an international researcher at the
Howard Hughes Medical Institute of the United States.
In
addition to her scientific research, Dr. Orozco has published over
90 scientific papers; she has been a consultant in 14 doctoral theses,
16 MSc theses, and 13 BSc theses. She is a professor of the National
Polytechnic Institute, at Cinvestav and at the Center for Applied
Science and Advanced Technology (Cicata) of Mexico.
Esther Orozco,
an example of the best of the latin spirit.
|