Undoubtedly, microbiologist Alicia Rojas Araya, who is a scientist at the Faculty of Microbiology of the University of Costa Rica (UCR), is a source of pride for Costa Rica, after she won recognition for her studies and research about parasites for the second time.
The first of these was received in 2020, and it was the Odile Bain Memorial World Prize, which is only awarded to scientists considered outstanding in that field of study.
While the second was achieved last November, where she managed to obtain the recognition that Costa Rica receives for the first time, the “CRPVBD Early Career Scientist Award”, which is designated by the renowned scientific journal “Current Research in Parasitology & Vector -Borne Diseases”.Araya obtained this last award thanks to her work “What is behind the curtain: Cryptic diversity in helminth parasites of human and veterinary importance”.
“The article describes the cryptic or hidden diversity in various species of helminths (parasitic worms) of medical and veterinary importance, revealing the complexity of worm speciation (when one species gives rise to another), the delimitation of species between clades (family) and the clinical implications of its taxonomic status (classification).
Essential investigation
“This recognition of cryptic diversity is essential for the management of the clinical course of patients, for the detection of emerging zoonotic species and the spread of resistance to anthelmintics (resistance to drugs used to treat infections of these parasites)”, the magazine detailed in its press release.
Proud to be part of the UCR
For her part, the scientist expressed that she is proud to be part of the UCR research group, which also highlights the quality of the institution.“For me, this award reflects the excellent quality of the research that we do at the University of Costa Rica and that is comparable to the level of other countries. Also, it is evident that the gap between women and men in the area of parasitology is closing every day.There are areas in science where the representation of both genders tends to equalize and in Microbiology we observe that women are dominating,” said Rojas.
For its part, the University of Costa Rica indicated that to receive the “CRPVBD Early Career Scientist Award”, candidates must be notable young scientists who are completing their doctorate or have obtained it in the last five years.
