Summary
The low representation of women (~33%) in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) careers are highly concerning and cultivate male-dominant cultures across various academic and professional disciplines. This social disequilibrium is extreme in the international space sector, where women represent less than ~20% of the workforce. The Hypatia I mission —a multi-generational and multi-disciplinary crew of 9 Catalan female scientists— seeks to help address this problem. In April 2023, the Hypatia I crew will participate in a two-week Martian analog mission at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS, Utah, United States) with the goals of (i) performing high-quality space-related research in a simulation environment, (ii) conducting outreach and science communication activities, and most importantly, (iii) promoting female role models in STEAM-related fields and inspiring future generations of scientists, particularly young girls interested in space careers. Hypatia I works in four areas: astronomy, engineering, space-biology, and communication. In particular, biological-related experiments will be presented. First, by studying the developmental alterations of zebrafish (Danio rerio), a well-known animal model subjected to hypergravity conditions. Second, by analyzing DNA epigenetic changes by using a portable DNA sequencer. Further, outreach activities will be exposed. The crew members of Hypatia I aims to inspire and promote females and girls in STEAM careers and wish that many more Hypatia’s II, III, IV…will be created giving visibility to the relevance of women in science.
Brief biography
Laia Ribas (Terrassa, 1979) defended her doctoral thesis at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) in 2006 under the supervision of Drs. Simon MacKenzie and Lluís Tort and funded by a predoctoral fellowship awarded by the Catalan Government. In her doctoral thesis, she studied the stress and immune responses in fish in order to find markers for the improvement of aquaculture production. She learned genomic tools, allowing her to secure a postdoc at the Imperial College of London with Dr. Mathew Fisher to study the amphibians’ immune response to fungal infections. On her return, she started working in fish reproduction at the Institute of Marine Sciences of Barcelona in the group of Dr. Francesc Piferrer in 2009. Since 2017, Laia Ribas is leading her own research group (Repro Immune Team, RIT) to study the interaction between the immune and the reproductive systems in fish, to improve aquaculture. Since 2000 she is interested in space biology-related science, in particular in Life Support System. She is an assistant professor since 2021 in Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona (UAB). Laia Ribas is committed to disseminate science by leading projects and publishing outreach articles.