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  • August 6, 2026

BIOcean5D Women in Science

Discover the diverse contributions and personal reflections of 10 BIOcean5D colleagues, originally featured to celebrate the International Day Of Women And Girls In Science on 11 February 2026 and shared here so these inspiring stories continue to be seen and celebrated.

Name: Sirine Boucenna

Position: Postdoctoral researcher

Organisation: Genoscope

Role in BIOcean5D: Genome Scale Metabolic Modelling of planktonic communities

“All my life I’ve been told that hard sciences are for men. Today I’m proud to be part of a world that proves otherwise and hopefully inspires younger girls. Regardless of our gender, curiosity is our most valuable human attribute. Hence, we must feed it by learning and understanding, because to understand is to be free.”

Name: Cristina Claver

Position: Researcher

Organisation: AZTI

Role in BIOcean5D: Generating consistent and holistic ecosystem data and understanding marine biodiversity dynamics

“Throughout my life, I have met fascinating women who have shared my passion and taught me how they see the ocean and how they protect it for the girls who will come after us. Science is my way of preserving that legacy.Just because.”

Name: Lucia Di Iorio

Position: Junior professor & group leader

Organisation: CEFREM, UPVD

Role in BIOcean5D: PI in Ecoacoustics; sonic biodiversity & biotic-abiotic interactions in marine forests

“Science is a space of creativity, curiosity and imagination. Live it and share it! Pave your way, be yourself and believe in it despite the many obstacles you will face. It’s a space, where you can develop your voice!”

Name: Marine Ethève

Position: PhD student

Organisation: CEFREM, UPVD

Role in BIOcean5D: Study the diversity of macrofaunal acoustic communities and biotic-abiotic interactions in European marine forests

“Science is an adventure made of questions, mistakes, and discoveries that helps us better understand the world around us. To move forward, science needs every kind of intelligence.”

Name: Julie Lemoine

Position: PhD student

Organisation: Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche-sur-Mer (LOV)

Role in BIOcean5D: Improving the representation of zooplankton in models

“Women are often expected to conform and keep their voices low. Science gives us a different space where we are allowed to dream, to try, to fail and to begin again. Don’t be afraid to express your ideas! That’s how science moves forward.”

Name: Christina Pavloudi

Position: Postdoctoral researcher / Data scientist

Organisation: EMBRC

Role in BIOcean5D: Analysis of DNA and non-DNA time-series datasets to identify shared patterns of biodiversity changes

“Some people will try to silence you or steal your voice. Others will try to make you doubt yourself and think that you are not up to the task. Don’t let them grind you down. Break the glass ceiling and thrive!”

Credit: Leslie Moquin – Fondation Tara Ocean

Name: Julie Poulain

Position: Molecular biology engineer

Organisation: CEA-Genoscope

Role in BIOcean5D: Sequencing operations coordinator

“Science is built on commitment, rigor, and diverse paths. To future women scientists: be bold, stay passionate, and persevere.”

Name: Naiara Rodríguez-Ezpeleta

Position: Head of the Molecular Ecology and Biotechnology Unit

Organisation: AZTI

Role in BIOcean5D: As part of WP1, I work on developing and assessing eDNA-derived biodiversity and biomass estimates

“Being a woman in science has taught me that equality is about removing the invisible privileges that allow too many men to advance without merit, often at the expense of more qualified women being prevented from reaching the positions they deserve.”

Name: Sarah Thiroux

Position: Postdoctoral researcher

Organisation: Ifremer

Role in BIOcean5D: Investigating hydrothermal symbioses through metagenomics

“I was lucky to be raised in a family where my dreams mattered more than my gender. I never wondered whether science was a boy’s job – only whether it was what I was passionate about. Today, it’s my turn to encourage the girls and women around me.”

Name: Meike Vogt

Position: Senior researcher

Organisation: ETH Zurich

Role in BIOcean5D: Work package co-lead in the ‘Data to knowledge’ work package

“Science is there for everyone to enjoy. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. So be curious! Be nerdy! Be critical! Be persistent! Be brilliant! Be yourself!”

Credit: Alicia Olmos Ochoa

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BIOcean5D Women in Science

This website is co-funded by the European Union (GA#101059915). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

This work is supported by the UK government Horizon Europe Guarantee, UKRI Grant Reference Number 10039266.

This work has received funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERl) under contract #22.00255.

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