Naybi Nikte-Ha Requejo Mendoza, a neuroscientist from Durango, has launched a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to raise the resources needed to travel to the United States and join a research project at the National Institutes of Health, where she has been formally accepted.
Naybi is a graduate of Biochemical Engineering from the Durango Institute of Technology (ITD), holds a master’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the Juárez University of the State of Durango (UJED), and a doctorate in Neuroscience from the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (Cinvestav). She is also an active member of the Mexican Women Scientists Association, a track record that led to her being considered for this international project.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the researcher launched a GoFundMe campaign with the goal of raising 120,000 pesos, funds that will be used to cover expenses related to the immigration process, visa processing, travel, and initial stay. As part of this effort, she has also put her car up for sale to help secure the necessary funding.
“I’m in the middle of this process, looking everywhere for help, and at the same time, I’m selling my car. That’s why I also launched the GoFundMe; if you can help, even just by sharing it, it’s a huge gift, because whatever each person can and wants to contribute, it all adds up,” she shared with El Sol de Durango.
According to the acceptance letter she has already received, Naybi is scheduled to arrive in the United States on February 2nd, although the final date will depend on the progress of the immigration procedures. She is currently working on these processes so that she can join the institute that invited her to collaborate on time.
Prior to this acceptance, the neuroscientist participated in the International Neuroscience Congress, considered the most important in the world, held in Chicago, where she presented her work and established contact with international specialists. Although she received job offers there, these did not materialize due to recent adjustments in the United States, which led her to continue exploring options until she received the current invitation.
The researcher also reported that she has sought institutional support, meeting with members of Congress and sending letters to state and municipal government agencies; however, so far she has only received a response from one congresswoman.
The project she will collaborate on in the United States will focus on studying how metabolic and gastrointestinal signals influence eating habits and food preferences, as well as analyzing these processes from a gender perspective, particularly in women, to understand the relationship between hormonal changes and eating behavior.
Source: oem
