International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026

To conmemorate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science which happens annually on February 11th, the Cultural Office has organized a special event, dedicated to kids between 6 and 13 years old, with two Spanish women scientists that have depeloped their career in the US. The event will include inspirational talks by Laura Campello and Ángela Ballesteros, scientists from diverse disciplines, who will share their academic and professional journeys, the challenges and opportunities in STEM careers, and the social impact of science.

Moreover, this event will include some engaging activities for the younger audiences. The goal is to spark scientific vocations, provide relatable role models, and promote equal opportunities in access to science and technology.

Laura Campello earned a B.S. in Biology, with a specialization in Biotechnology, and a Ph.D. in Experimental and Applied Biology from the University of Alicante (Spain). Her career in Biomedical Research has largely focused on incurable human diseases. Specifically, she studies neurodegenerative diseases of the retina that cause severe vision loss or blindness. During her predoctoral training, she investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying retinal diseases, including mitochondrial dysfunction and the ubiquitin-proteasome system, a pathway responsible for cellular protein homeostasis. She also explored the neuroprotective potential of compounds with antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties in retinal degeneration. Additionally, she completed a research stay at the prestigious Institut de la Vision in Paris (France). Her postdoctoral studies were conducted at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where she worked on drug discovery for inherited retinal degenerations and studied the molecular mechanisms of retinal aging to identify biomarkers of healthy aging and age-related retinal diseases. At present, Campello is Director of Retinal Gene Therapy at Avista therapeutics, where she leads the charge in engineering next-generation AAV viruses for cutting-edge gene therapy applications in the retina.

Ángela Ballesteros Morcillo earned a B.S. in Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the Autónoma University of Madrid (Spain), where her doctoral thesis characterized TIM proteins as phosphatidylserine receptors involved in immune recognition and phagocytosis of apoptotic cells. Her research career has focused on the molecular and biophysical mechanisms of sensory transduction, with an emphasis on hearing and the inner ear. Early work explored immune receptors, protein-ligand interactions, and TGF-β modulation by pregnancy-specific glycoproteins. She later shifted to biophysics and ion channel physiology, investigating putative mechanotransduction channels and their structural homology to TMEM16 scramblases. During her postdoctoral training at the NIH—including fellowships in molecular physiology (NINDS), cell structure and dynamics (NIDCD), and biologics evaluation (FDA)—she studied lipid regulation, membrane homeostasis, and the role of TMC1 in auditory hair cells. She also completed collaborative biophysics training at Complutense University (Madrid). At present, Ballesteros is a Stadtman Investigator and Chief of the Section on Sensory Physiology and Biophysics at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), NIH, where she leads research on the essential role of TMC1 mechanoelectrical transduction channels in maintaining membrane integrity for hearing, alongside studies on hair cell function, protocadherin transport, and potential ion channel/scramblase activity in sensory epithelia.

Important Information

• A reservation on Eventbrite is mandatory, printed tickets are not required.Please only book tickets for the children attending. Adults don't require a reservation for this event
• To ensure a secure environment, all children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. No one will be admitted alone, and no adult will be admitted without a child.
• Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• Doors open 20 minutes before posted showtime.
• Ticket holders will have access to the event while space is available. A reservation does not guarantee admission.
• No Late Seating, ticket holders may not be allowed to enter 15 minutes after posted showtime.
• Right of admission reserved.
• If you need special assistance, please contact us at [email protected].

How to get there:

The best way to arrive is by public transportation. The closest Metro station is Columbia Heights (Green line). Limited metered and two-hour zoned parking is available in the surrounding neighborhoods. Public parking garage is available at DC USA Shopping Mall (Columbia Heights Metro Station).

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