Vall d'Hebron unveils a 40-meter mural to honor women scientists

Coinciding this Friday with the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona has premiered Pioneras, a 40-meter long mural with a surface area of about 160 square meters painted by the Barcelona artist Mateo Lara "Ma'La". The work, promoted by the Fundació Catalana per la Recerca i la Innovació in collaboration with the biotechnology company Amgen, pays tribute to nine women who, from Ancient Greece to the present day, have advanced science in the field of health.

Metrodora, Trotula of Salerno, Anna Morandi, Rita Levi-Montalcini, Gertrude Belle Elion, Rosalind Franklin, Margarita Salas, and Linda H. Aiken are the scientists who have been painted by the urban artist, who began working on the mural on January 31 and has now finished it with the help of a group of professionals and patients from Vall d'Hebron. A ninth face has been painted, that of an anonymous current researcher, to highlight young female scientific talent with the motto You can be one of them.

According to the hospital, Pioneras contributes to humanizing the environment of the healthcare campus through art and gives visibility to women who have marked a before and after in the scientific world. Another objective is "to break many of the stereotypes that still exist today" regarding the role of women in science.

"Although much progress has been made in recent years, less than 30% of scientific researchers in the world are women," explains Fina Lladós, general director of the pharmaceutical company Amgen in Spain. "That's why we have been so involved in the creation of this mural: not only to make visible those who have already paved the way, but also to encourage many girls and young women to join the adventure of health sciences."

"We want this to be a tribute on two levels," says Dr. Anna Santamaria, head of the Women in Science program at Vall d'Hebron: "a tribute to women as a fundamental part of care, especially on this February 11, and a tribute to female excellence not only forgotten but often deliberately hidden throughout history." The mural, notes Dr. Anna Santamaria, is also a reflection of the Campus's commitment "to excellence and to recognizing these women scientists."

According to artist Mateo Lara, the expressive richness of the nine faces portrayed "serves to emphasize the humanity and connection between these nine pioneers and the viewer."

Metrodora is a Greek doctor and author of the oldest known medical text written by a woman. Trotula of Salerno was a medieval Italian physician capable of treating cancer and specialized in gynecology and obstetrics. Anna Morandi was a pioneer in the 18th century for reproducing human anatomy in detail, being an expert in the skeletal system and male and female reproductive apparatus. For her part, Rita Levi-Montalcini was an Italian neurologist who discovered the nerve growth factor; winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1986.

Gertrude Belle, who died in 1999, is an American scientist, precursor of immunotherapy and recognized for the discovery of Purinethol, the first drug for the treatment of leukemia. The English Rosalind Franklin was the discoverer of the double helix structure of DNA. The research carried out by the Spanish Margarita Salas, a disciple of Severo Ochoa, allowed us to understand how DNA works. Finally, Linda H. Aiken is a nurse and researcher from the United States focused, for example, on the impact of culture and work environments in healthcare organizations.