Esther Orozco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Esther Orozco
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| Born | 25 April 1945 (age 80) Guerrero, Chihuahua, Mexico.
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| Nationality | Mexican |
| 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 18 April 1945) is a Mexican scientist, chemist, and teacher. She is famous for her important research on a disease called amoebiasis. This disease is caused by a tiny parasite. Currently, she helps with science and technology cooperation at the Mexican Embassy in France.
Contents
About Esther Orozco
Her Education
Esther Orozco is a very smart teacher and scientist. She studied chemistry at the Autonomous University of Chihuahua. Later, she earned her master's degree and PhD in cell biology from Cinvestav, a big research center in Mexico.
Her Research
Dr. Orozco's main work has been at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies in Mexico. She studies a tiny parasite called Entamoeba histolytica. This parasite causes a serious illness known as amoebiasis.
Her research looks at:
- How the parasite causes disease.
- How the parasite becomes resistant to medicines.
- The structure of the parasite's DNA.
- How the parasite "eats" other cells.
Her goal is to find ways to create a vaccine and better treatments for amoebiasis.
Her Career
In 1982, Dr. Orozco started working at CINVESTAV. She joined the Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology. Since 1990, she has worked in the Department of Infectomics and Molecular Pathogenesis. This department studies how infections work.
For ten years, she was also a researcher at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She also visited and gave talks at famous places like Harvard University.
She helped start the Research Center of Applied Science and Technology (CICATA) at the National Polytechnic Institute. She also created a special program for advanced studies in genomic sciences at the Autonomous University of Mexico City in 2003.
Awards and Recognitions
Esther Orozco has received many important awards for her scientific work.
- She won the Pasteur Medal from the Pasteur Institute and UNESCO. This award was for finding out how amoeba infections work and how to control them.
- She also received the L’Oréal UNESCO for Women in Science Award. This award celebrates women who make great contributions to science.
- She was an international fellow at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for 10 years.
She is a member of important science groups like the Mexican Academy of Sciences and The World Academy of Sciences.
In 2011, she was named an "Emeritus Researcher" by CINVESTAV. This means she is a highly respected scientist who has done amazing work there since 1981. In 2012, she received the same honor from Conacyt, a big science council in Mexico. Only a small number of scientists in Mexico receive this special recognition.
She has also been honored by the government of her home state, Chihuahua, and by the government of Mexico City.
Here are some of her 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 (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 Prominent Chihuahua Women's Award in science is named after her.
- 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)
Public and Government Roles
Dr. Orozco has also held important positions in government and public service.
- From 1990 to 1994, she was the Secretary of Planning at CINVESTAV.
- In 1998, she ran for Governor of Chihuahua. She wrote a book about her experiences during the campaign.
- From 2006 to 2010, she was the first Director General 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 help its people. It also aimed to promote science and connect scientists with government and businesses.
- From 2010 to 2013, Dr. Orozco was the Rector (like a president) of the Autonomous University of Mexico City.
- From 2019 to 2021, she was a science advisor to the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 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 find ways to test for and create vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. They even got international funding for Mexican projects.
- Since September 2021, she has been the Minister of Cooperation in Science and Technology at the Mexican Embassy in France.
You can learn more about Esther Orozco's scientific publications here: [1]
See also
In Spanish: Esther Orozco para niños
