PhD student Fiorella Roco, who carries out her studies at the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, CEDENNA, was recognized with the 2025 For Women in Science Chile Award in the PhD category. This award, granted by L’Oréal Groupe together with the UNESCO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, with the support of ANID, the Chilean Academy of Sciences and the European Southern Observatory (ESO), recognizes women who contribute significantly to the advancement of scientific knowledge in the country.
The award recognizes her work, supervised by Dr. Felipe Valencia and focused on the study of high-entropy alloys through molecular dynamics simulations, a line of research that seeks to understand and optimize the mechanical behavior of advanced materials under extreme conditions. This type of research has high potential for application in strategic industries such as mining and medicine, contributing to national technological development.
“Receiving this award is an honor and represents recognition of effort, perseverance and passion for science”, said the researcher. “CEDENNA was the first center where I worked and it was fundamental to my development as a scientist. Thanks to its support I was able to start my line of research, which marked the beginning of my career.”
Since its creation, CEDENNA has played a key role in strengthening the Chilean scientific ecosystem, promoting collaboration between universities, researchers and students, and creating spaces where diversity and the participation of women in historically male-dominated areas, such as engineering and physics, are valued. In addition to providing high-level infrastructure, the Center promotes the training of new generations of women researchers, contributing to the decentralization and democratization of scientific knowledge in Chile.
Regarding the challenges facing the country in research and development of new materials, the scientist highlights that “Chile needs to strengthen sustained investment in science and technology and reduce the gap between basic and applied research”. In this regard, institutions such as CEDENNA “can contribute by strengthening links with industry, supporting the training of young researchers and developing collaborative projects that allow the knowledge generated to have a real impact on society”.
The researcher is currently continuing her studies on high-entropy alloys, combining her scientific work with the training of new generations of students. “I firmly believe that knowledge must be shared. My purpose is to keep contributing through research and teaching, inspiring more women to actively participate in the country’s scientific and technological development”, she concludes.
