“Women in Science are Underrepresented”

Smiling, calm and determined Catalan Marie Villares won the Young Talents Prize France 2021. An order awarded by the L’Oréal Foundation, in cooperation with the Academy of Sciences and the French National Commission for UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), this award is given every year to outstanding and committed researchers. Meeting with Marie during the renovation’s return to Les Angles, where she was born: “I had a happy childhood there. I have a memory of freedom. It is a chance to live in a natural environment, surrounded by mountains, fresh air. I miss her so much today, alive. In Paris. I did many activities, skiing, cross-country skiing, alpine dancing, horse riding and walking Long distance guitar. My career orientation emerged little by little. In a video shot when I was 5, to the question What do you want? What do you do when I grow up? I said I wanted to find something so that the people I love wouldn’t die”, she explained.

In the third grade, she did an internship in a medical analysis laboratory at Font-Romeu. This reinforces her desire to work in biology. Marie decided to adopt her future career as a biologist. It is affiliated with DUT in Toulon in Biological Engineering, with the aim of integrating the laboratory. During her training, she completed a 4-month internship in the Department of Genetics at Toulon Hospital. “My professional project is developing, and it is research oriented. I am continuing my studies with a license in Molecular and Cell Biology in Montpellier. Then with a European Master in Genetics in Paris. 2 years of specialized training including 6 months at NYU Passionate about what I do, requires a major investment in the job “, Related. At the end of this internship, she joined the CNRS’ Epigenetics and Cellular Destiny Laboratory in Paris. For three years, with her Ph.D., Mary would happily go to work every morning. “ I work on a parasite that lives inside the cells of cows, infecting them and making them cancerous. I study how it works, which leads to cancer. My research focuses on new treatments to eliminate this parasite from infected cells and make them healthy again. I will present my thesis dealing with this. If I become a Doctor of Biology, I plan to pursue a career in scientific research in cancer science. “.

In this fifteenth edition, out of 750 candidates, 38 were elected by a jury of 28 researchers from the Academy of Sciences. This award promotes scholarly work, and also takes into account a career path and professional project, and procedures performed in conjunction with the thesis. He offers elected officials a scholarship, as Mary summoned (Photo by Jean Charles Caslow). “I teach at FAC, speak at conferences, write scientific articles and run a popular science project on Instagram. And my scholarship, I will use to develop my web page. It will allow me to carry out practical work for schools in the department of Pyrenees-Orientales with the aim of releasing new emotions. I am honored and pleased to receive This distinction that rewards years of work and confirms my choice for the future. In sciences they are underrepresented. This award strengthens them.” .