Meet our Early Career Scientist Grant Winner María Prieto Pizarro
We’re delighted to introduce the next winner of our Early Career Scientist Grant - María Prieto Pizarro!
Each month we choose one life science postdoc or PhD student to receive a $500 grant that will support their career in some way, eg. help with publishing fees, the cost of lab supplies, conference travel expenses, etc.
Our latest winner is María Prieto Pizarro of the University of the Basque Country in Leioa, Spain. María is a third year PhD student working in Olga Peñagarikano’s lab who will use her grant to attend the 20th Meeting of the Spanish Society for Neuroscience (SENC 2025) in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, on 3-5 September 2025.
When we asked María how she felt about receiving the grant, she told us:
I am very happy to have been awarded the Hello Bio Early Career Scientist Grant. This grant will allow me to attend the SENC 2025 Conference, where I will share my research and have the opportunity to connect with leading scientists in the field. It will also be a great opportunity to stay in touch with the latest advances, receive valuable feedback on my work, and establish collaborations that will help me grow as a researcher and further develop my project. María Prieto Pizarro, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain, Hello Bio Early Career Scientist Grant winner
Congratulations María! First, can you tell us a bit more about your current research work?
I am a third-year PhD student focused on the investigation of how Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) might be linked to dopaminergic dysfunctions, testing this hypothesis using a multidisciplinary approach involving molecular, pharmacological and physiological analyses in preclinical genetic mouse models of ASD as well as human post-mortem brain samples.
This part of my scientific career focuses on the molecular characterization of the expression of dopamine-system related molecules in a mouse model of autism, knockout for the Cntnap2 gene. I am using molecular techniques to measure the expression of the different genes.
What excites you most about your field of research?
The most exciting aspect of my field of research is the possibility of searching for new potential therapeutic targets to discover new treatments that could help ASD patients.
Which scientists working today do you most admire, and why?
Olga Peñagrikano, a researcher at the University of the Basque Country, specializes in studying social deficits in autism with the goal of identifying new therapeutic targets to assist patients. Throughout her career, she has contributed to numerous projects and publications, including the characterization of the first mouse model of autism (Peñagarikano et al. (2011). Absence of CNTNAP2 Leads to Epilepsy, Neuronal Migration Abnormalities, and Core Autism-Related Deficits. Cell, 147(1), 235-246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2011.08.040
What do you think are the biggest challenges currently facing life scientists and their work?
Nowadays, the working conditions for researchers (schedules, salaries, etc.) are often insufficient for most of them to achieve a good quality of life, both financially and in terms of work-life balance. Society is aware of the importance of research for many diseases, but the conditions of those who dedicate their lives to this work should be significantly improved. Also, there is a problem with securing enough funding for each project to achieve its objectives, so we should also look for a solution to that.
And finally… what’s your favourite science quote?
‘As long as the brain is a mystery, the universe will remain a mystery.’ – Ramón y Cajal
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Thank you so much María! We hope you have a fantastic time at the SENC 2025 Conference!
Connect with María:
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LinkedIn: María Prieto Pizarro
Are YOU a life science PhD or postdoc researcher? Why not apply for our next monthly grant!
Application is quick and easy, just fill out the form here: https://hellobio.com/early-career-scientist-grant-application
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