Carla is a qualified engineer currently completing her PhD at the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on tissue engineering and traumatic injuries, for which she has developed a 3D microvascular network model. Carla also collaborates as an expert partner with BIOMATDB, an EU-funded initiative currently developing an AI-powered biomaterials database validated by biomaterials experts. She holds a master of science in nanomedicine (University of Oxford, United Kingdom) and a first-class bachelor of engineering (Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico).
Carla has led several humanitarian and research projects internationally, including São Tomé and Príncipe (expedition researching Príncipe’s environmental history and contemporary human-environment interactions), Uganda (improvement of education levels; teacher development programs), Bulgaria (healthcare provision improvement in refugee camps; development of an electronic medical record for refugees), the UK (development of a ventilator for COVID-19 patients and leadership team of the resulting social enterprise), and Mexico (leadership of natural disaster relief and prevention national network).
She has been the recipient of numerous awards including the E&T Innovation Awards, the Oxford Trust COVID Innovation Heroes Awards for Medical Engineering, and the prestigious University of Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor’s Positive Social Impact Award.