Question 1: What attracted you to the field of autophagy? During my PhD I became captivated by the phenomenon of apoptosis. My postdoctoral research at Guido Kroemer's lab focused on organelle stress and cell death. While studying lysosomal damage, I became interested on autophagy. Initially viewed as a cell death process, I found autophagy inhibition paradoxically increased cell death. This discovery marked the first evidence of the cytoprotective role of autophagy in mammalian cells. Since then, my primary research focus has been on understanding the critical importance of autophagy for our cells, particularly neurons.
Question 2: What do you consider to be the most exciting recent discovery in autophagy?
The evidences that there are multiple ways to recycle mitochondria. From degrading the whole organelle via classical mitophagy to the new discoveries of piecemeal and other types of mitophagy is telling us how key is to mitochondria turnover for our cells and tissues.
Question 3: What is the career achievement you are most proud of?
As a young principal investigator, I hypothesized that mitophagy was not only a mechanism for removing damaged mitochondria but also served many other vital functions within cells. Indeed, I discovered that by eliminating healthy mitochondria, cells could significantly modify their metabolism, transitioning from a mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation-dependent state to a more glycolytic one. I demonstrated that this type of mitophagy is essential for processes like neuronal differentiation and immune cell activation. More recently, we have shown that, contrary to our initial expectations, mitophagy actually increases during physiological aging. This serves as a crucial mechanism to prevent sterile inflammation in tissues, which results from the leakage of mitochondrial DNA from damaged mitochondria that accumulate with age. While this discovery was initially met with skepticism, it has now been confirmed by numerous other research groups.
Question 4: What advice would you give to young women in science?
Believe in yourself and pursue your dreams. Take advantage of the many resources now available to improve your skills. It's not just about the science but also about how to nurture your team and collaborate with others effectively. Find supportive mentors and surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. Lastly, remember that there's never an ideal time to have children. If you want to start a family, don't overthink it and just go for it. And don't forget to take care of yourself. Make sure you find time for other things that bring you joy.
About Patricia: Patricia spent her childhood in Spain and studied biology at the University of Navarra, where she also earned her PhD in cell biology. She completed postdoctoral research in the at the CNRS in Paris and a shorter one at the University of Cambridge. Upon returning to Spain with a Ramon y Cajal position, she quickly became a staff scientist at the CIB Margarita Salas from Spanish Research Council in Madrid. After 17 years there she recently accepted a professor position at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. A mother of two boys, Patricia also enjoys spending time in nature, cooking, and photography.
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