Esther Orozco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Esther Orozco
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| Born | April 25, 1945 Guerrero, Chihuahua, Mexico
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| Alma mater | Autonomous University of Chihuahua and National Polytechnic Institute |
| Awards | UNESCO/Institut Pasteur Medal (1997) and L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science (2006) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Amoebiasis |
| Institutions | Cinvestav |
María Esther Orozco Orozco, born on April 18, 1945, in Chihuahua, Mexico, is a brilliant Mexican scientist and teacher. She is known for her important work on a tiny parasite called Entamoeba histolytica, which can cause a disease called amoebiasis. Currently, she helps with science and technology cooperation at the Mexican Embassy in France.
Contents
About Esther Orozco
Her Education Journey
Esther Orozco is both a teacher and a scientist. She earned her first degree in chemistry from the Autonomous University of Chihuahua. Later, she completed her master's degree and a PhD in cell biology at Cinvestav-IPN, a famous research center in Mexico.
Her Important Research
Dr. Orozco's research at the Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN) focuses on Entamoeba histolytica. This is a human parasite that causes amoebiasis. She studies the genes and proteins that make this parasite harmful. Her goal is to find ways to create a vaccine and better treatments for this disease.
Her research includes:
- How the parasite causes disease at a tiny, molecular level.
- How the parasite becomes resistant to medicines.
- How the parasite's genetic material is organized.
- How the parasite "eats" or takes in other cells, which is called phagocytosis.
Her Academic Career
In 1982, Dr. Orozco joined the Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology at CINVESTAV-IPN. Since 1990, she has worked in the Department of Infectomics and Molecular Pathogenesis at the same research center in Mexico City.
For ten years, she was a researcher at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She also received special support from foundations like the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and the John E. Fogarty International Center. She has given talks at top universities like Harvard University and the Weizmann Institute of Science.
She also helped start the Research Center of Applied Science and Technology (CICATA) for the IPN. In 2003, she created a special program for advanced studies in Genomic Sciences at the Autonomous University of Mexico City.
Awards and Special Honors
Dr. Orozco has received many important awards for her scientific work.
Key Awards and Recognitions
She was honored with the Pasteur Medal from the Pasteur Institute and UNESCO. This award recognized her discovery of how amoeba infections work and how to control them. She also received the L’Oréal UNESCO for Women in Science Award. For ten years, she was an international fellow at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
She is a member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences (AMC) and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).
In 2011, CINVESTAV-IPN named her an Emeritus Researcher. This is a very special title for scientists who have done outstanding work for a long time. In 2012, she received the same honor from Conacyt’s National System of Researchers (SNI). Only a small number of researchers in Mexico receive this high distinction.
She has also been recognized by the government of her home state, Chihuahua, and by the government of Mexico City.
List of Awards
- Miguel Otero National Award from the Ministry of Health (1985)
- UNESCO and Institute Pasteur Louis Pasteur Medal (1997)
- Woman of the Year Award in Health from Master Card Corporation and Glamour 2021 magazine (2004)
- L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Award (2006)
- Medal for Citizen Merit in Science from the Federal District Legislative Assembly (2006)
- Omeccíhuatl Medal from the Women's Institute of Mexico City (2009)
- The Chihuahua State Congress created the Prominent Chihuahua Women's Award, named after María Esther Orozco Orozco, to honor women who have brought fame to their state in science.
- Emeritus Researcher by the CINVESTAV-IPN (2011)
- National Emeritus Researcher by the Conacyt's National System of Researchers (2012)
- Ranked among the 300 most influential Mexican leaders by Líderes Mexicanos magazine (2020)
Her Public Service Roles
Leadership in Science and Government
Dr. Orozco has held several important leadership roles. From 1990 to 1994, she was the Secretary of Planning at CINVESTAV-IPN.
In 1998, she ran for Governor of Chihuahua. She wrote a book about her experiences during this time called Si la mujer está: Chihuahua, abriendo caminos en la lucha por la democracia.
From 2006 to 2010, she was the General Director of the Institute of Science and Technology of Mexico City (ICyTDF). This institute was created to use science and technology to solve problems in Mexico City and improve people's lives. It also aimed to connect the government with scientists, businesses, and schools, and to help more people learn about science.
Dr. Orozco also served as the Rector (like a president) of the Autonomous University of Mexico City from 2010 to 2013.
From June 2019 to September 2021, she was a scientific advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Mexican Government. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led a group representing Mexico in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). This group worked with universities and companies to develop ways to test for and create vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Since September 7, 2021, she has been the Minister of Cooperation in Science and Technology at the Mexican Embassy in France. This is her current job.
Learn More About Her Work
You can find more of Esther Orozco's scientific publications online.
See also
In Spanish: Esther Orozco para niños
