Obituary: We have lost an extraordinary Cuban experimental physicist
“A great woman, a great experimental physicist who achieved an extraordinary challenge, the first image of atoms made in Cuba, with little or almost nothing…with a scanning tunneling microscope mounted on a Lada tire”
Words from Dr. Aurora Martínez Pérez
Dr. Mayra Paulina Hernández Sánchez (July 1, 1954 – 2024) was a distinguished Cuban physicist and professor known for her pioneering work in materials science. She graduated in Physics from the University of Havana in 1978 and earned her PhD in Physical Sciences in 2000. As a prominent researcher, she specialized in the atomic-level characterization of materials with applications in biology, medicine, and materials science, using advanced microscopy and spectroscopic techniques.
Dr. Hernández collaborated with prestigious institutions worldwide, including universities in Mexico, Germany, and Brazil. She led the Nano Group of the Division of Nano Materials at IMRE and supervised numerous theses at various academic levels. Throughout her career, she published 70 scientific papers in high-impact journals and was recognized with multiple honors, including the Carlos J. Finlay Order, the title of Emeritus Researcher from the University of Havana, and the prestigious Sofía Kovalevskaya Prize in 2016. Her legacy continues to inspire the scientific community in Cuba and beyond.
Young cuban student obtained a bronze medal at 38th Ibero-American Mathematics Olympiad (IOM)
Mathematics competitions are extremely difficult and exhausting, however, for this young girl that only represents a challenge to overcome. This is the second time this year that the student has emerged victorious in international competitions: the first was at the 64th International Mathematics Olympiad in Japan (IMO) when she was awarded an honorable mention…
L’ Oréal-UNESCO International Award «Women and Science» for Cuban Researcher
Cuban researcher María Guadalupe Guzmán received in Paris the L’Oréal-UNESCO International Prize “Women and Science”. According to the website of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the director of the Research Center of the Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK) was recognized for her pioneering work, which has led to a better understanding and treatment of dengue or tropical flu, a disease that affects between 50 and 100 million people worldwide every year.
Sofía Kovalevskaya Prize awarded to Cuban Scientistis
The acknowledgment is sponsored by the Kovalevskaya Foundation and the Faculty of Mathematics and Computing of the University of Havana, and its purpose is to encourage women from developing countries to participate in the scientific and technological life of their nations. Among the winners are the scientists from the Caribbean island Nigreisy Montalvo, Lizet Sánchez, Yailé Caballero and Isabel Alonso, as well as Olga Lidia Pérez, Sira María Allende, Lisset Suáreza, Iliana Pérez, Victoria Hernández and Concepción Valdés…
65th anniversary of the constitution of the Las Marianas Battalion.
Today at 65th anniversary of the constitution of the Las Marianas Battalion. Our tribute and gratitude to those 13 women, who put their lives alongside the poor of the earth to free Cuba from ignominy.
“Look, comrades, if you win this battle, you will win them all, because the most difficult battle is this one”
Fidel Castro Ruz, September 1958
Racism, classism and misogyny: pillars of modern gynecology
From the beginning of time, men and women understood that pregnancy was not a solitary process, but rather that it was up to the entire community to look after the mother and her possible offspring. But of all the tasks distributed, none was more important than the one carried out by that woman who, after having already given birth, accompanied her “sister” in the process. The names varied depending on the geographical region and the years, but whether it was “midwife”, “midwife”, “carrier” or “midwife”, the truth is that, for millennia, these women enjoyed high dignity and high social recognition due to their noble and necessary work.
Iyamira Hernández Pita: Sexist violence is reproduced in the shadows
Sexist violence has to do with the sociocultural constructions around masculinities and with everything that is learned in relation to how to be a man and a woman for society, considers sociologist Iyamira Hernández Pita.