Jacqueline M. Valverde-VIllegas
HOW DID I HAPPEN TO BECOME A HUMAN IMMUNOGENETICIST?
For the last two years as an undergraduate student, I was doing my internship in the Faculty of Veterinary at UNMSM in Peru. I remember this period of my life as an exhilarating journey as an undergraduate student. In the lab of Molecular Biology and Genetics led by Dr Lenin Maturrano, there was a project to understand why a group of South American Camelids succumb to enterotoxemia and are affected severely while another remains resistant to infection or has a mild disease. Host genetic factors of the immune system were proposed, and since then, I experienced a kind of enthusiasm and eagerness to become a scientist in this field. I also learned alongside veterinarians, pharmacologists and clinicians about bacterial cell culture, diagnosis and pathogenesis of enterotoxemia or pneumonia.
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In low-income countries like Peru, it is challenging to be a full-time scientist. And when I completed the University, I needed to find a paid job. As a research assistant, I worked on sustainability and biodiversity projects for almost one year. While working, I was searching for scholarships abroad to pursue my postgraduate studies in the genetics and immunology field (immunogenetics). That is how I found the Immunogenetics and Immunobiology laboratory in Brazil, led by Dr. José Artur Bogo Chies, where I spent almost seven years and grew up as a scientist.
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Thanks to my mentors, Dr. Lenin Maturrano and Dr. José Artur Bogo Chies, I enjoy my scientific journey, and I am willing to continue discovering the genetic basis of this immuno-logic world.
WHAT DO I DO BESIDES BEING A SCIENTIST?
When I am not working on papers or doing analysis, I like to visit new places or return to my favourite ones. I enjoy travelling and exploring the cities with local people to exchange our cultures and views about life. Before everything, I tried to find local food and the botanical garden of the town, which is mandatory for me when travelling. I have a particular curiosity for mushrooms, I like their versatile shapes, sizes, and colors, and I'm learning about their properties. As a Peruvian, I like to explore the different culinary flavours, and because I love biodiversity, I try to learn about that from each country; the reason why I like to have lunch in the botanical garden during the first days of my trips.
Some other facts about me when I'm not working at the computer:
Watercolor painting
Recently, I had the opportunity to take a watercolour painting course, one of the best decisions I took in my life. I realized that I try to be a perfectionist and want to control every detail, and I sometimes translate it into my personal and professional life. Actually, I realized that the fact of painting with the natural fluxes of the water going in different directions without looking for perfectionism or controlling all details makes me feel free and more creative. Watercolor painting is giving lessons that I can translate into my life. I fell in love with this art and now is part of my life.
Decorating/creating
Among other things I love to do when I have time is to create or transform something that I usually find in nature and decorate my home with that. It could be from different things, such as recycling furniture from the street or using stones or dry leaves to decorate or create something new.
The botanical garden in Morocco.
One of my achievements, outdoor painting.
Recycling wood and paperboard to create a lamp for home.
Walking around nature
In the last five years, I have been living in France, and I had the opportunity to live in the countryside, still close to the city centre because of my job. In this country, I discovered that I am able to make an enormous effort just to live close to nature. Thus, I have the opportunity to walk around nature every day at the end of my day. This has become a routine for my mental and physical health.
Daily walk close home.