Elena Ramírez Parra

Ramírez studied biological sciences at the Autonomous University of Madrid and a doctorate in molecular biology from the same university (2000). Ramírez is a published scholar of botany.^[1][2]

She became a senior researcher at the Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, CBGP) of the National Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA) and the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), studying the negative effects that produce environmental stress in plants.^[1]

Her investigation characterises the mechanisms that plants use to respond to external stresses like drought, soil salinity, heavy metals and extreme temperatures. She tries to create a generation of new plant varieties that will improve harvests.^[3]

In November 2010, she was awarded, with four scientists (Isabel Lastres Becker, Ana Briones Alonso, Mercedes Vila and María Antonia Herrero), the L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science. This endowment of €15000 is to reward the work of women scientists younger than 40.^[3][4]

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