Media & Appearances 

📍Insitut Quantique, Université de Sherbrooke. 14 novembre 2025

Defense: the final frontier. The day every PhD student dreams of (or dreads of). I succesfully defended my PhD work receiving the highest distinction (the Canadian equivalent to the suma cum laude) . But as you might be aware of, this thesis is everything but normal. This thesis is a statement. A call for action to my fellow PhD students, to re-think the way we communicate science. I am profoundly proud of this thesis and I hope this is just the start of a new career path for me. Because something we mexicans do well when there is no path we build one.

📍Banff Center for Arts and Creativity: August 24-29 2025

Imagine a place surrounded by mountains and lakes with breath-taking hues of blue where you are encouraged to be an artist and a scientist. That encouraged you to be an artist and a scientist. That's the Banff International Research Station, at the heart of the Banff Center for Arts and Creativity.

I had the joy of spending a week at the workshop "Novel Mathematical Paradigm for Phylogenomics". The aim was deceptively simple: figure out where we are, what biologists actually need and how mathematics can rise to the occasion without hiding behind too many Greek letters.

I presented two pieces of work:

• An adaptation of the classic Sankoff-Rousseau Algorithm for inferring horizontal gene transfers (because genomes don't always play fair).

• A sneak peak at my thesis project, turning four research articles into illustrated narratives. A way to rethink not just what we communicate in science but how.

To my delight, this reflection on communication resonated so much that it even popped up in the workshop's final wrap-up session. This was my last conference of the PhD. Honestly, I can't imagine a better denoument: science and art, mountains and mathematics, all in one improbable, magical place.

📍Faculty of Sciences, UdeS: June 09, 2025

This summer I decided to participate in the Summer School on Scientific Mentorship, organized by the Faculty of Sciences at the Université de Sherbrooke. This experience was profoundly enriching and deeply human, offering a unique chance for introspection and growth. To process the insights gained, I chose to document my journey through a medium close to my heart: comics. These illustrations captured key moments and reflections, from grappling with initial uncertainties about my future to recognizing personal strengths through exercises like identifying admired qualities in others.

The week provided invaluable lessons, including the importance of self-knowledge for effective networking, the power of discipline and consistency, and how to reclaim control during interviews by asking questions. A particularly impactful quote that resonated with me was, "Work only comes after success in the dictionary." This summer school acted as a powerful catalyst, helping me clarify my goals and feel lighter as I embarked on a new week, armed with fresh perspectives and a notebook full of new drawings.

📍 Centre CR+ UdeS: May 23, 2025

I had the pleasure of being part of the organizing committee for the 2nd annual PhD Research/Career Day 2025 at the University of Sherbrooke. A superb opportunity to develop my skills in project management, communication, and academic event organization. 

🎤 This involvement allowed me to invite David Mendes da Silva, PhD, host of the PapaPhD podcast, as a guest speaker. David's podcast has been a true light during key moments at the end of my doctorate. He accompanied me, inspired me, and guided me 😇 

🤝 I also had the chance to welcome the participants at the reception alongside Sirine Yassine and Ibrahim Soumana Adamou – a wonderful moment of exchange about doctoral journeys and careers both outside and within academia. A big thank you to the entire organizing team and to the speakers for this enriching day! 

📸 Photos by Amr Khater.

📌 Official website of the event can be found here.

📍Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea: April 24th-25th, 2025

It was an unforgettable experience, not only for the cultural immersion but also for the chance to present my latest research. I unveiled a novel application for the well-known Sankoff-Rousseau algorithm, repurposing it for the crucial task of inferring horizontal gene transfer events. This presentation marked a significant milestone, as it's the culmination of three years of dedicated work during my PhD.

This moment truly felt like the completion of a design cycle. I had the privilege of showcasing my theoretical model in action, demonstrating its application to real biological data. It was incredibly rewarding to present the practical utility of my research, bringing years of conceptual development to a tangible conclusion. Being able to share this work with the leading minds in comparative genomics, in such an exciting new environment, was an absolutely fantastic experience.

See the conference Proceedings here.

📍 Salon du Livre de l'Estrie: march 18th, 2025

I had the pleasure of participating in the discussion 'Comics at the Heart of Social Awakening' during Printemps des Passeurs. An enriching experience where we explored the power of comics to raise awareness and convey strong messages. 

❤️ My favorite part? Highlighting how comics are, in a way, a form of rebellion and how we can better use them to give a voice to visible minorities. An accessible, impactful, and committed medium that has a key role to play in our societies.

 I am proud to have represented the Faculty of Science - Université de Sherbrooke in this discussion, and I warmly thank the Salon du Livre de l'Estrie as well as the Faculty of Education - Université de Sherbrooke for this wonderful opportunity.

 📸 The photos in this publication come from the Facebook page of the Salon du Livre de l'Estrie :) by Véronique Marcotte.

Find more about the event  here.

📍october 21st, 2024.

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to be a guest on "Desde Tus Zapatos"! We had a fantastic conversation, diving deep into my journey as a Mexican Bioinformatician pursuing my PhD at the Université de Sherbrooke. Laura (the podcast host) and I first met at the two events of Women Techmakers event in Sherbrooke, where she was fascinated by how I use comics to explain complex bioinformatics concepts in a visual, engaging, and clear way. On the podcast, you can actually see images from my presentations and other creations we discussed, giving listeners a real glimpse into my work!

It was a truly special conversation, filled with anecdotes about my experiences in bioinformatics, the challenges of gender gaps in STEM, and my personal quest to blend my passion for drawing with my scientific career. We talked about how important it is for young women and girls in science to hear these stories—to know that there are many paths to success and that nothing is set in stone; you can "draw" your own unique way forward. I highly encourage you to listen to the episode on Spotify to hear our full discussion!

Listen to the original podcast (in spanish only) here.

📍 Doubice, Czech Republic : september 2nd- 4th 2024

Last year's Herbstseminar in Bioinformatics was an unforgettable experience, particularly as I ventured into giving an extended 25-minute talk – a presentation that, by some accounts, could've easily filled a 45-minute late-night show slot! I aimed to compress all three of my PhD projects into this one session, delving into the intricate problems I'm tackling. The challenge was amplified by presenting in the infamous Graph Theory session, often shunned due to the inherent complexity of the topics. Despite my initial apprehension, the feedback was incredibly rewarding: several participants approached me afterward, expressing that it was "the first time I actually learned something" in that session. This affirmation truly highlighted the impact of striving for clarity, even when discussing the most complex bioinformatics concepts. 

📍 Royal Holloway University. Egham, London: september 2nd- 4th 2024

I recently had an incredible time at the WABI 2024 conference. This year, I was thrilled to present our latest work on the Path-Label Reconciliation distance for gene trees. This new metric is designed to help researchers more effectively compare the quality of reconciled trees against a known "ground truth," which is a significant step forward in understanding evolutionary relationships. WABI, as part of the broader ALGO meeting, always brings together the best in algorithms and their applications, making it an inspiring environment for sharing new research.

Beyond presenting, I also got the fantastic opportunity to participate alongside my lab mates in the PACE (Parameterized Algorithms and Computational Experiments Challenge) competition! While my contribution was small, it was an invaluable learning experience, as it pushed me to dive into and learn the Rust programming language. This year's challenge focused on the fascinating and NP-hard one-sided crossing minimization problem (OCM), a fundamental building block for drawing hierarchical graphs. It was truly a privilege to engage with such cutting-edge algorithmic challenges and connect with leading researchers in the field.

📍ACFAS: 15-17 june, 2024

I recently participated in the "Prendre part: l'école d'été en communication scientifique" a fantastic summer school focused on participatory science communication. This program was all about shifting the perspective from simply delivering information to actively engaging the audience as key players in the communication process. It was incredibly insightful, especially for someone like me who's always looking for new ways to make science more accessible and impactful. I brought my experience with handmade posters to the table, and it was exciting to explore how this hands-on approach can foster active participation.

The goal of "Prendre part" is to equip participants with the tools to develop science communication initiatives that mobilize knowledge and empower the public to make informed choices or even spark changes in perception. I received concrete guidance and practical tools that will undoubtedly help me refine my approach to connecting with specific audiences. Even better, this summer school opened doors to some exciting new collaborations, proving that when you focus on truly engaging with people, incredible opportunities can emerge!

Meet the community here.

📍 INRS News : june 7th, 2024

I participated in the Eastern Canada regional final of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, where 13 Canadian universities gathered to showcase their research. This experience further honed my skills in concise scientific communication for a broad audience. 

🖥️ See the complete article here.

📍MIT, USA: april 29th- may 2nd, 2024

I recently had an incredible experience at the RECOMB-CG conference, held at none other than MIT in Boston! This year was particularly special for me, as I not only presented my latest work on Galled Perfect Transfer networks—a fascinating variant of my original Perfect Transfer Network model—but I also had the honor of serving as a session chair. This meant I got to introduce speakers, keep everything on schedule, and moderate lively Q&A sessions, ensuring a smooth and engaging experience for everyone. It was amazing to be part of this leading conference in comparative genomics, connecting with top researchers and discussing cutting-edge computational approaches.

And for a truly unforgettable moment, I brought a hand-made poster to the poster session. You should have seen everyone's faces – it genuinely left them flabbergasted! There's a funny parallel between my handmade poster and the rise of BYD: both were initially met with skepticism, told they'd go nowhere. Well, look at me, and look at my unique poster, showcased at one of the most prestigious universities in the world. This poster even hinted at some exciting future work I have planned, so stay tuned!

📍UdeS news: april 24th, 2024

I had the honor of presenting my 3MT winning talk on antibiotic resistance at the Université de Sherbrooke's annual Celebration of Research and Graduate Studies. This event highlighted the exceptional contributions of researchers and emerging talents in science communication, and it was a fantastic opportunity to share my work with the university community. 

See the photos of the event here.

Discover this event here.

📍 Google Developers Group Sherbrooke – International Women’s Day: april 6th 2024

For my second talk with GDG Sherbrooke, I explored how design principles borrowed from art and storytelling can help us communicate complex scientific ideas more clearly. I connected visual metaphors used in iconic artworks with strategies we can use to build effective scientific graphics—and shared examples from both historical science and my own visual research.

A celebration of creativity in science, and a call to empower future STEM communicators.

👾Official site can be found here.

📍 UdeS news: March 14th, 2024

I was featured for winning first prize in the English-language Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition with a dynamic presentation on antibiotic resistance, using creative analogies to explain complex algorithmic detection of horizontal gene transfer, which is a unique way in which bacteria escape death.

📸 Photo : Michel Caron - UdeS 

✍️See the featured article here. 

📺 See my presenation here.

📍Bristrobrain at Boquibiere: December 18, 2023

This might suound like the start of a joke, but it was actually my final exam as part of the course EFD908 - Communication scientifique grand public given in collaboration with BistroBrain, a fantastic non-profit dedicated to making science fun and accessible! This course was once again led by my amazing science communication professor, Olivier Robin, alongside the brilliant Sophie Malavoy. Sophie brings over 30 years of experience in science popularization, having directed UQAM's Coeur des sciences and worked on major TV shows like Radio-Canada's Découverte. It was truly inspiring to learn from such seasoned experts. I actually took this course specifically to overcome my fear of public speaking and improve my presentation skills, and it truly delivered. 

Our final presentation was part of a "Soirée sciences" at the Boquébière bar in Sherbrooke, showcasing the unique "Happy hihi" format that BistroBrain is known for: a blend of Humor, Hook, Personalized touch, Central idea, General interest, and Interactivity. It was a fantastic opportunity to put my newfound communication skills into practice, sharing complex scientific ideas in a relaxed, convivial atmosphere. 

BistroBrain has hosted nearly 100 events across Quebec, making them a cornerstone of science popularization, and I'm thrilled to have been a part of their mission to spark scientific curiosity in the general public!

📍Sherbrooke, QC: august, 2023

I've had the amazing opportunity to contribute my multilingual skills to an international research project, helping to bring complex science to life in a fun and engaging comic book. It all started when Professor Olivier Robin from the EFD929 course at the Université de Sherbrooke invited me to join the "Acoustic Metamaterials" project. He was specifically looking for someone who could speak multiple languages, and I was so excited to jump on board!

This awesome collaboration has resulted in a two-page comic that's now available in English, French, and Spanish. It’s all about making the cutting-edge world of vibroacoustic research easy to understand for everyone. This groundbreaking project brings together two top-notch mechanical engineering labs: my university, the Université de Sherbrooke right here in Canada, and the Universidad de Chile down in Chile. Our big goal? To create super cool new structures that are way better at blocking out sound and vibrations, all while using less material than traditional soundproofing. Talk about a win-win – less stuff, better performance, and a positive energy trade-off! It’s been an incredible experience to be part of this innovative way to share science and make a real impact.

📍McGill University, Montreal. may 15th-18th 2023

I recently presented my first first-author publication, "Colorful Orthology Clustering in Bounded Degree Similarity Graphs", at the 15th Great Lakes Bioinformatics (GLBIO) conference! It was an amazing experience to be part of this interdisciplinary forum, which brings together researchers from across computational biology. I had the opportunity to discuss my work on an FPT (fixed-parameter tractable) algorithm for orthology inference, a crucial step in understanding evolutionary relationships between genes.

GLBIO is all about fostering long-term collaborations and networking, and I definitely felt that spirit. It was fantastic to connect with other researchers, exchange ideas, and learn about the latest advancements in computational approaches to biology. Presenting my work and getting feedback from the community was an invaluable experience, and I'm already looking forward to future opportunities to contribute to this vibrant field!

📍june 7th, 2023

I had the exciting opportunity to participate in a capture-the-flag-style hackathon during the Journée des femmes francophones en informatique (JFFI)—despite having no prior experience in cybersecurity!

Through hands-on challenges, I quickly learned core concepts in digital security and managed to capture some flags using my skills in the Linux command line. It was a fast-paced, high-energy experience that pushed me out of my comfort zone and deepened my appreciation for digital safety and ethical hacking.

The event as a whole was an inspiring gathering of over 200 francophone women in computing, filled with networking, mentorship, and conversations about the future of tech. I'm proud to have been part of this empowering and inclusive space.

🩷Official website of the event can be found here.

📍Centre CR+, UdeS: may 30th, 2023

I'm excited to share that I've completed EFD929: Communication Scientifique par la BD (Science Communication through Comics)! This unique course was a fantastic opportunity to re-imagine a previous science communication piece of mine in a fresh format. It also allowed me to reconnect with my long-standing love for graphic novels and comics, seeing their incredible potential beyond entertainment.

The course, offered by CR+, highlighted how comics are becoming a powerful tool for popularizing science, focusing on storytelling and narrative structure over drawing ability. We learned how to adapt complex scientific topics into engaging stories, emphasizing that strong layouts and scenarios are key. This experience has not only broadened my communication skills but also reignited my passion for visual storytelling as a means to share scientific ideas with a wider audience.

📍Google Developers Group Sherbrooke: March 18th, 2023 

My very first public talk! I was invited to share my research in a format inspired by Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. I presented three bioinformatics projects as short, engaging narratives to a non-expert audience—making the science behind gene evolution and algorithms accessible, story-driven, and fun.

This event marked the beginning of my science communication journey as a speaker—and helped inspire young girls in Sherbrooke to imagine themselves in STEM.

👾Official website can be found here.

📍18th november 2022.

This was a cross-disciplinary initiative that connected researchers in mathematical phylogenetics and theoretical computer science.

I presented the results of my first theoretical paper, Perfect Transfer Networks, which introduced a character-based method to infer horizontal gene transfers using a new mathematical model. It was a deep dive into the kind of algorithmic design that drives my research: conceptually rigorous, but aimed at solving real biological questions.

This talk not only gave me the chance to share my work with experts in the field, but also led to a memorable interaction with Mike Steel, a pioneer in mathematical phylogenetics. He congratulated me on my talk and sent me a related paper—one that ended with an open problem that caught my imagination.

Years later, I proposed a solution to that very problem, now published as the Sankoff–Rousseau algorithm. It was my first experience of how scientific dialogue, even in a single seminar, can spark long-term ideas and collaborations.

This event marked the beginning of my visible presence in the phylogenetics community, and strengthened my belief that algorithm design is not just a technical task—it’s a language to ask and shape scientific questions.

🎧See the full list of talks here.

📍 Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam, Germany: September 5th-9th, 2022 

Just a few months into my PhD, I had the incredible opportunity to present my second first-author publication at the 22nd Workshop on Algorithms in Bioinformatics (WABI 2022) at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam, Germany! It was a whirlwind, starting my PhD in January and having the conference deadline in April, but it was absolutely worth it. At WABI, I unveiled my work on Perfect Transfer Networks, a brand new mathematical model that I believe will be instrumental in detecting horizontal gene transfer events between bacteria. This research is truly at the forefront of the fight against antibiotic resistance, and it was thrilling to share it with such a dedicated community.

WABI is a fantastic conference for new insights into discrete algorithms and machine-learning methods in computational biology, and it was inspiring to be surrounded by researchers pushing the boundaries of the field. Being able to present my work in person after a couple of years of virtual conferences made the experience even more special. It was an honor to contribute to discussions on cutting-edge research, especially knowing that the algorithms showcased at WABI have played such a crucial role in global health, including the recent response to the CoViD-19 pandemic.

💾See the conference proceedings here.

august 1st-5th 2022.

📍 Emerging Mathematical Frontiers in Molecular Evolution – Institut Mittag-Leffler, Sweden 

I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Emerging Mathematical Frontiers in Molecular Evolution workshop at the historic Institut Mittag-Leffler, one of the world’s most prestigious research centers in mathematical sciences.

This workshop brought together leading minds in mathematical phylogenomics to explore new ways of understanding the complex co-evolution of species and their genetic elements. Discussions spanned combinatorics, algorithmics, and evolutionary theory—all centered on the challenge of reconciling gene and species histories at scale.

Personally, it was a milestone: I got to meet my research inspirations, including David Sankoff, Peter F. Stadler, and my long-time idol Dan Gusfield. It felt like finding my academic family.

And yes—Mittag-Leffler might be the reason there's no Nobel Prize in mathematics (ask me about the rumor 👀).

📍ComSciCon-QC: june 10-12th, 2022 

During ComSciCon-QC 2022, I participated in the Composi-thon, a challenge where graduate students create a science communication piece in any format, with guidance from expert editors and peers.

This was where I created my very first science comic—a playful take on the evolution of the carbon assimilation pathway with high water-use efficiency of pineapples. The drawing was… let’s just say, experimental—but it ended up being featured in the official wrap-up of the conference!

More importantly, this experience introduced me to the power of humor and creativity in communicating science. It helped shape the approach I now use in public talks, blog posts, and even patient-centered storytelling. It all started with a pineapple.

🖥️ Official event website can be found here.

📄 This is the article I based my composithon in.

📍UdeS news: november 23rd, 2021

Let's rewind to 2021, a super exciting time during my Master's (and COVID) when I won the Université de Sherbrooke's Science Communication Contest! This competition challenges students to transform complex research into a short, engaging popular science story or comic for the general public. It was a fantastic opportunity to really flex my science communication muscles and share the work made by my lab in a new way.

My winning entry, "The Silent Killer and the Tell-Tale Copy Number", used a fun crime mystery analogy to explain how we track cancer evolution. Drawing inspiration of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart". Imagine cancer cells as sneaky culprits leaving "numerical footprints" (Copy Number Profiles) in their wake. The cnp2cnp algorithm I presented, which was based on an article published by my supervisor, helped us piece together these clues to understand how tumors grow. This experience was incredibly rewarding and truly sparked my passion for making science understandable and exciting for everyone!

📖 Read the french version here.