Estefanía Peña: “With little funding, we are a very powerful and solid scientific community”

Why did you decide to go into research?

When I finished my degree, I started working in a prefabrication company, but I didn't like it. At first I thought about studying civil engineering in Santander, and I had everything organised when Professor Manuel Doblaré suggested I do my thesis. So I said, well, maybe it is good, maybe I don't need another degree, maybe this is like a challenge to go a bit further, and the final decision was to stay.  

You are now part of the Applied Mechanics and Bioengineering (AMB) research group. What are your main lines of research?

Our group, above all, is in Biomedical Engineering applied to the cardiovascular system. We focus on the use of computational techniques for the prediction of cardiovascular pathologies, specifically for atherosclerosis and aneurysms; we have several projects underway. But we also do research in the design of devices, especially for cardiac surgery, post-infarction, or for atherosclerosis stents.

When you were studying Industrial Engineering and thinking about going to study Civil Engineering, did you ever think that you would be where you are today, working in health-related issues?

No, not at all. In fact, I always remember that when I had to choose my final project, I told the professor I asked that I didn't want to do programming or biomechanics. But, at that time, there was a project that seemed interesting, which studied the biomechanics of the knee. And here I am.

Is there any project that you are particularly proud of in terms of its impact, its development or the time you have dedicated to it?

Well, time dedicated, to many. If I have to highlight one that I am very proud of, it is the one we are involved in now, in which we are collaborating with the Vall d'Hebron Hospital, which I think is going to be very interesting because we are working with professionals who have direct contact with patients, who are in the diagnosis of very relevant cardiac pathologies. For example, with patients with Marfan Syndrome, which is a young patient with many problems. I am very excited about this, because it is probably the closest I see to direct clinical application. 

You mentioned research collaboration, is there any line of research you would like to highlight?

We are currently working on a European project with two I3A research groups, BSiCoS (Biomedical Signal Interpretation and Computational Simulation) and TME Lab (Tissue MicroEnvironment). We have worked on the design of cellularised scaffolds for post-infarction patients to prevent heart failure. Here, we have participated in the design with the simulations, we have done the experimental trials on the platform. At the last meeting of the project, we have seen in the trials that it works, that it improves cardiac function.

I can't imagine researching without teaching, and I can't imagine teaching without researching.

And, how do you see the future of your area of ​​research?

It is increasingly broader. In the field of the cardiovascular system, there is still so much to learn. But I think the future is in diagnosis, in prediction, not in treatment. We need to design intravascular devices, but the idea would be to try it with patient data, with images of the patient, with a blood test, to be able to say that a person is going to develop an atheroma plaque in two or five years, and to monitor them to prevent a heart attack from occurring.

Would you say that this is one of the great challenges that you have…

Yes. In Biomedical Engineering, yes, trying to make computational tools predictive and not post-treatment.

Where would you rate research in Aragon?

Well, in general, I have always thought that Spanish researchers, and Aragonese in particular, have a huge inferiority complex, because we have much less funding. But, what we are able to achieve with less funding shows that we really are a very powerful and solid scientific community.

From the point of view of resources, it is true that we are at a disadvantage, but from the point of view of talent, no. I think that with a little more funding we would do great things, I am sure.

What do you enjoy most about your profession?

Well, I really like teaching and research, to the same extent. I can't imagine research without teaching and I can't imagine teaching without research.

And what do you remember about your time at the I3A as deputy director?

I learned a lot of things and, among those many things, I discovered that there are a lot of people at the I3A, a lot of people, very good, perhaps too discreet, who do super interesting things, who work very hard and that I didn't know about. You don't realize this until you really have a more global vision of the I3A, the number of people who want to do things and collaborate with each other.

How do you see yourself in the coming years?

The truth is that I am as well as I am… But, well, I would see myself looking for new challenges, looking for new collaborations with the clinical field, new problems in the cardiovascular field in which we can contribute.

What would you say to someone who is thinking of going into research?

It is not a bed of roses, but it is a very rewarding path. If you like it, it is very, very rewarding. It is hard to get good results, but of course, when you get them, you know that the application, in my case, for example, can help save lives.