Selene Fernandez Valverde
(She/Her)
Principal Investigator
Selene is a genomic scientist and bioinformatician. She leads a research group at the Advanced Genomics Unit of Cinvestav in Irapuato, Mexico. She believes scientists should engage with stakeholders and the general public to communicate why Science is important and how it can help us solve some of the biggest challenges of our time, including the ongoing climate crisis.
Research-wise, Selene is interested in how living organisms’ DNA and RNA regulation changes over time in different species. Through her mother, a chemist researching sustainable energy sources, Selene was exposed to Science, sustainability and women in STEM from an early age, which inspired her to pursue a career in Science.
Selene is deeply committed to initiatives that promote girls and women to incursion and remain in STEM. She received fellowships such as the National (2016) and International Rising Talents (2018) awards from the L’Oréal-UNESCO Foundation and a Newton Advanced Fellowship from The Royal Society (UK) in 2018. She also participated in mentoring initiatives in organizations such as Ekpapalek and the US-Mexico Foundation.
Outside work, she enjoys being with her son, dancing, reading sci-fi and scuba diving.
