About The Speaker
Patricia González Rodríguez
Patricia González Rodríguez is a neuroscientist specialising in Parkinson’s disease. She is a Principal Investigator of the “Bioenergetics and Metabolism in Parkinson’s Disease” research line at the University of Seville’s Institute of Biomedicine (IBiS).
Dr. González Rodríguez’s academic journey includes training at four prestigious research institutions across three countries: the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, Northwestern University in Chicago, USA, the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, USA, and the University of Seville in Spain.
Her research focuses on the role of metabolism as a driver of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson’s disease. Notably, she developed the first progressive mouse model of Parkinson’s that replicates human pathology, challenging existing paradigms of the disease. Her team demonstrated that damaged neuronal mitochondria alone can cause Parkinson’s symptoms and progression, paving the way for identifying biomarkers for early disease stages.
Throughout her career, Dr. González Rodríguez has secured competitive funding and holds two U.S. patents related to Parkinson’s disease. She is also committed to teaching at the University of Seville and actively engages in science communication and advocacy for women’s roles in science.
Her contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Manuel Losada Villasante “Research in Innovation” Prize (2023), the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award (2023), the Hipatia Woman in Science Award for Young Scientific Talent (2022), and the Medal of Andalusia (2018).