Carla Geovanna Rodríguez Proaño is an Ecuadorian Biotechnology Engineer, who also obtained a master’s degree in Forensic Science, from King’s College in London. She has been conducting clinical research with FOMAT Medical Research since last year and was recently involved in a Huntington’s disease (HD) research study in Ecuador.
During her days at the Institute of Biomedical Research, César Paz-y-Miño (Corresponding author in the Huntington’s disease Investigation) (Paz-y-Miño C, 2017) was her mentor from 2009 to 2013 and with whom she never lost contact. During this time, she also participated in the development of research projects, such as Hirschprung’s disease (Guevara MJ, 2012) and she also shared her opinion on other projects being conducted at the Institute. The first study in HD was published in 2014 (Pavón-Realpe VH, 2014) and with a greater analysis among Ecuadorian ethnicities, the recent HD investigation (Paz-y-Miño C, 2017) will give a clearer genetic characterization of the disease in Ecuador. “Working alongside all of these authors was a rewarding experience that challenged me as a scientist and motivated me to continue pushing research forward”, said Carla.
Lately, as a Biotechnology Engineer, she continues in the field of research as a Clinical Research Coordinator with FOMAT Medical Research, which has further developed her passion for medical research. As she mentioned: “I would definitely participate in other projects in the neurodegenerative area of research, and I will not limit my desire to be a part of other areas of investigations, most certainly, I will also be part of any investigation if the opportunity presents itself.”
Carla has a wider vision of clinical research in Ecuador and other Latin American Countries. She wants to become an inspiration for the new researchers out there trying to follow their own path.
“I became interested in neurodevelopmental diseases through the investigation and research that I‘ve built up thus far. At this point, I have the ambition to gain more knowledge on how these diseases genetically develop. I would love to find more projects in this area and carry them out in Ecuador. In my country, we have professionals who are well educated and capable of being a part of these research projects.”
We also asked Carla about what advice she would tell the Medical Research Community. She told us this: “I advise researchers to not be afraid of investing in a research project, especially in Ecuador. Enterprises such as FOMAT Medical Research help the investigators with the required processes to ensure the study succeeds. With the continuance of our work we help the sponsors, investigators, and patients obtain better results, data, and treatments for the future.”
So far, Carla, a Biotechnology Engineer, has become a great ally to FOMAT. She has shown enthusiasm, willingness, and passion for her job. Her expertise is the perfect complement for the Research Coordinators Department. All of the above has made Carla one of FOMAT’s valued collaborators. “Hiring the best people is part of our quality promise. We seek candidates with a desire to improve research, like Carla.” said Gina Chacón, Head Medical Coordinator at Quito, “We are fueled by passion.”
References:
Guevara MJ, L.-C. A.-K. (2012). Polimorfismos genéticos del proto-oncogén RET asociados con la enfermedad de Hirschprung en niños de la población ecuatoriana. Rev Med Vozandes , 23, 97–104.
Pavón-Realpe VH, J.-K. G.-C. (2014). Estado de la mutación del gen IT-15 (HTT) en familias ecuatorianas con enfermedad de Huntington. Arch Neurocien , 19 (2), 73-78.
Paz-y-Miño C, S. C.-C. (2017). Study of the Huntington’s disease IT-15 gene in different ethnic groups in Ecuador. Clin Genet. Accepted Author Manuscript. doi:10.1111/cge.13028
Rodríguez Proaño C, J. K. (2012). Estudio de variantes genéticas de genes asociados a la Enfermedad de Alzheimer en población ecuatoriana. Revista Ecuatoriana de Medicina Eugenio Espejo , 1.
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