To promote the International Museum Day, the Museum of Science and the Cosmos (MCC) held an event on 18 May entitled “Women Scientists and Technologists”, an initiative designed to bring the scientific and technological work carried out in the Canary Islands closer to the public.
The event brought together three researchers and technologists from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and IACTEC, who shared their professional experiences, challenges and motivations within the fields of science and innovation.
One of the participants was the astrophysicist Gaia Lacedelli, a postdoctoral researcher at the IAC and member of the Exoplanets and Astrobiology group. During her presentation, she outlined her academic and scientific career, focused on the discovery and characterisation of exoplanets, as well as her current research on sub-Neptunes and other planetary populations. She also highlighted her participation in international astronomical consortia such as CHEOPS, CARMENES, PLATO, TESS-ExoFOP and ARIEL, combining observational work at observatories with the analysis of data obtained from next-generation ground-based and space telescopes. In addition, she emphasised the importance of science communication and her involvement in educational projects and initiatives aimed at bringing astronomy closer to the general public and students.
The meeting also addressed the gender gap and possible solutions, as well as the importance of the Canary Islands, the IAC and its observatories within the international astronomical context.
Through this event, the MCC and the IAC reaffirmed their commitment to promoting female role models in science and encouraging scientific vocations among younger generations.