Newsletter
Virginia Albarracín
Virginia Albarracín’s journey in the MCAA dates back to the same year the Association was established. As a founding member of the Argentina Chapter, she’s motivated to represent MCAA members outside of Europe as part of the newly elected Board.
Virginia Albarracín is a molecular microbiologist by training and is currently Head and Group Leader at the Centro Integral de Microscopía Electrónica (CIME), an electron microscopy core facility and research center in Argentina.
For Virginia, joining the MCAA was a chance to continue interacting with the scientific community in Europe even after her MSCA fellowship in Germany. She became a member straight from the beginning of the Association in 2014. Not long after, she co-founded the Argentina Chapter, the first regional chapter of the MCAA in America and one of the first ones worldwide.
Ten years later, the Argentina Chapter has established itself as a dynamic division of the MCAA, with growing membership numbers and networking activities across the continent.
“We encouraged our colleagues to establish other Latin American chapters and later worked together to create the Latin American MCAA Conferences. I have consistently demonstrated my commitment to the MCAA’s mission, especially the principles of diversity, collaboration, and community building.”
Virginia’s experiences as an MSCA alumni and MCAA member outside of Europe were also a key motivator for her candidature for the MCAA Board. She wants to contribute to ensuring that the Association is truly inclusive and considers the hurdles related to the different circumstances its members face.
“Due to varying research environments, economic situations, and cultural disparities, our members' careers in some regions are very limited. This is especially true in Latin America. To create an inclusive community, we must consider all these factors and design programmes that appeal to each region. It is essential we bridge the geographical gap and ensure that researchers from different regions are represented at the highest level of decisionmaking in our Association,” she explains.
Alongside the aim of strengthening the global reach of the MCAA and engagement of members worldwide, Virginia has two other principal goals for her mandate: to facilitate cross-border mentorships between people from different cultural and geographical backgrounds and empower women in STEM and the MCAA community.
“I hope we can empower members in more personalised ways, taking into account their backgrounds, problems, and expectations. I believe this approach will lead to a stronger and more resilient MCAA.”
To members residing and working outside Europe, Virginia sends a special message.
“If you feel the MCAA is not a place for you, if you don’t feel quite represented or attracted to our activities, reach out to me or the other Board members to canalise your interests, initiatives, and constraints. The MCAA is a great place to contribute and make a difference – just step in!
Kira Keini
MCAA Communication Officer
kira.keini@mariecuriealumni.eu
@kirakeini