Paula Rodríguez Villamayor: “«We have discovered that there is a specific region of the brain, analogous to our amygdala, that is involved in the persistence of aggression»
The brain, and in particular the human brain, is considered to be one of the most complex structures in the universe. It is a vast and unfathomable ocean of chemical and electrical processes that not only allows existence itself but also determines how it is perceived.
Action and reaction. Cause and effect. Everything that takes place in the interstices of gray matter has its specific origin and its consequences. And, despite the titanic scientific advances that we have achieved as a society, many of them are still unknown to us.
Establishing previously unexplored connections and committing to methodological innovation is essential to understanding ourselves and the other species with which we share our planet. And this is precisely one of the central pieces of Paula Rodríguez Villamayor's research work.
Graduate in Veterinary Science from Campus Terra, Doctor in Veterinary Science from the University of Santiago de Compostela, member of the Acuigen research group... Her CV is, quite simply, impressive. Both in terms of its length and the quality of the milestones described in it.
International stays at top-level centers, a multitude of prestigious awards and accolades, pioneering projects with a major social and scientific impact... And best of all, there is still a long way to go. A path that, without a doubt, will allow her to reap all the successes that she has cultivated with great effort, passion and dedication.
Currently, Paula Rodríguez Villamayor is on the other side of the Atlantic as a recipient of one of the prestigious Fulbright scholarships, which allows her to carry out her research work at the Zuckerman Institute of the renowned Columbia University. There, she tells us, she is immersed in a fascinating project: the study of the sociosexual behaviors of the betta fish related to aggressiveness.
The fruits that this work is already bearing, which seem very promising, are the central theme of today's interview. In it, we draw on Paula Rodríguez Villamayor's valuable reflections, experiences and knowledge to understand the significance of the results of her research, as well as to learn about her work dynamics and the path she had to take to get where she is today.
- Since January of last year, you have been enjoying a Fulbright scholarship as a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University. Could you explain to us what your work consists of?
- I am currently working with a fish model that is emerging as a model species, the betta fish, which is an aggressive fish by nature. We are studying its sociosexual behaviors in order to decipher the neurological and molecular bases of this behavior so that, in the future, they can be transferred to the human species and thus help in the research of psychiatric disorders that involve aggression.
In our day-to-day work, we work with males and females of different types of fish, selected according to their levels of aggressiveness. The comparison between these subjects allows us to see their patterns of aggression, which are later related to changes or modifications in the nervous system.
For example, males are more aggressive than females. And we want to know what is happening in their brains to make this happen. To do this, we work at the circuit level, that is, communications between different regions of the brain. How do these regions communicate to carry out aggressive behaviors?
From that point on, we work at the level of gene expression, seeing which genes in the brain are expressed differently in the different conditions to which they are subjected and seeing which types of cells are expressing their genes. We also work with genetic editing, extracting and adding genes that we have seen may be involved in aggression.
I am particularly fascinated by animal behavior and the relationship it has with the plasticity of sensory systems and the brain. My line of research has always focused on understanding how the environment and the different sensory organs, in interaction with the brain, can modulate behavior.
-The FBI's behavioral analysis unit has produced wonderful series like Mindhunter, Criminal Minds, etc. Surely, this unit would be delighted to have your work once you have concluded whether there are certain neural connections that determine the extent of our degree of aggressiveness...
-Yes, that would be great, to be honest. It is worth mentioning that we do not want to eliminate aggressiveness. What we want is to determine its origin precisely.
I studied a degree in veterinary science and I have always worked with animals. I am very interested in being able to get inside the human mind, but really, it is animals that can tell us how and why innate behaviors happen. Aggression marks the evolution of species. The strongest are the ones that end up prevailing.
A few weeks ago, we published our latest work, where we saw that there is a specific region of the brain of betta fish that is involved in the persistence of aggression. When we eliminate that particular region of the brain through a series of in vivo surgeries, we are able to relate the changes in the behavior of the animals to that specific region, which, we determined, corresponds to the amygdala of mammals.
When we removed it, we saw that when animals do not have this region, they still initiate aggressive behavior, but it does not last over time. In other words, it fades over time. What this work concludes, then, is that this region, analogous to the amygdala, is involved in the persistence of aggression.
Therefore, with respect to the human species, the aim is not to eliminate aggression. The aim is that when it is a problem, it can be addressed and mitigated. Aggressiveness is a fundamental and necessary behavior, but in certain pathologies that involve aggression, such as schizophrenia or certain types of autism, the idea is to curb it so that it does not become a serious problem in the long run.
-Your academic curriculum is impressive. An excellent doctorate cum laude with an extraordinary award from the USC, now with the Fulbright scholarship... Was it a very hard sacrifice, or did you enjoy the journey?
-I enjoyed it, but it wasn't an easy road either; I wasn't given anything. Everything I achieved was through hard work and perseverance.
The merits achieved may attract attention, but I have a longer list of rejected applications than of merits achieved. This is very common in science.
So, yes, I have enjoyed the journey so far, with better and worse moments, as in all aspects of life. Doing a postdoc at Columbia University is a unique opportunity. It was not easy to get here; I went through a round of tough interviews. You need a long track record to build on, a lot of patience and dedication.
In moments of greatest work pressure, I ask myself, where would I be if not here? This reflection helps me appreciate how lucky I am to be where I am. I love science, and I love what I do. In addition, I think the work environment is a priority. Right now, I have some lovely colleagues who are a pleasure to work with. I have also had very good colleagues and very attractive opportunities throughout my career, thanks especially to all the international research groups, where I always felt very welcome and valued and with whom I still collaborate.
Although I consider myself very lucky to be working in what I like, I don't think it's a good idea to romanticize the profession. Finding a balance between work and personal life is key to achieving professional success in the medium and long term. That's why it's essential to thank all the groups that work tirelessly to improve working conditions for researchers. Hopefully, in the near future, we will be able to count on decent jobs in the field of research.
-So, how is your experience at Columbia University going? What are the big differences you perceive compared to other international adventures that we will talk about later? Because there were many and they were very different...
-From my personal experience here in the United States and specifically at Columbia University, the first thing they said to me when I arrived was: what is the next big discovery in your field of work that you can make? Here, they want you to think big as soon as you arrive. From the outset, they don't focus on trying to go slowly.
In Spain, for example, when applying for projects, everything has to be very well justified. It is easier to get funding if there is a real application in the project itself. On the contrary, here, you can get a lot of financing with basic questions, which allows you to ask yourself much more ambitious questions because you have a wide margin for failure. You have room to make mistakes and try again.
Another difference that I noticed, personally, is that here, they don't attach so much importance to the number of publications you have to your CV. What counts most for a job is the interview where you talk about your line of research and the relevant discoveries you made: it is not a priority that your work has already been published.
Ultimately, research has a very important biological question behind it. You are always thinking about the next important step you can take. That's where you learn the most. I see it here, especially in the students. This way of researching and working encourages critical thinking and makes you question at all times why you want to do what you do and what your goals are.
I also think that it is very enriching, for example, to be totally immersed in the field of research through seminars, talks, courses, outreach activities, etc. Specifically, we have weekly meetings where the most relevant scientists in my field of work are invited to talk about the latest scientific advances, many of them still unpublished. To learn from the most expert people and Nobel Prize winners in my field of research is truly a dream come true.
-You worked at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, you did an internship at King's College in London, at the University of Bristol, at the Francis Crick Institute, and at the Royal Veterinary College; now you are in New York... Are you a restless soul, or does your desire to explore, learn and investigate condition your career?
Well, I think a bit of both. I've always been very restless. I love to travel and expose myself to new challenges and adventures, and this job allows me to do that. But it's also true that international experience is highly valued in research.
Working in different environments, with people from totally different cultures, in another language... enriches not only the professional and scientific side, but also makes you grow as a person. I had the opportunity to work in world-leading centers and laboratories where I had many collaborations and complementary lines of work.
It's always good to establish that line of collaboration. In my particular case, I started quite early, which helped me understand science in a collaborative way. By working as a team, efforts are multiplied, allowing advances to take place much faster.
-Changing the subject slightly, your doctoral thesis was, in an almost extreme exercise in synthesis, on the reproductive behavior of the rabbit, an animal on which you had previously researched in high-level projects. What attracts you to this species? Is there something unique that we non-specialists might miss?
-The origin of my passion for rabbits goes back to the time when I was studying for my degree. I remember I was in my third year of veterinary studies on the Terra Campus, and a friend of mine had a rabbit called Zelda who had broken a leg and, as a result, the poor thing was suffering a lot of stress.
So, we did an animal pathology project on stress in rabbits. One of our teachers really liked the project and suggested we go to a conference in Madrid to present it, where we ended up winning the prize for the best project.
That was the beginning, so to speak. Then, I started my thesis with rabbits in the Anatomy department, where they had never worked with rabbits before. Then, I wanted to assess its application in rabbit breeding, and we began to collaborate with the departments of Reproduction, Genetics and Biochemistry... It was a very multidisciplinary project that included morphological, genomic and behavioral studies, with the aim of assessing the involvement of the olfactory system and pheromones in reproductive behavior in order to optimize and improve rabbit production.
This project started from scratch with my thesis, so the journey to get funding was not easy, but with a lot of hard work and dedication, we got a project from the national plan. To this day, I consider this the greatest achievement of my thesis.
In the end, rabbits are a very grateful species to research, as the results not only have an impact at the basic science level but also at the translational level, as they are a species used in animal production. In fact, during my thesis, we collaborated with the rabbit breeding company Cogal, to whom I owe infinite thanks for all their help.
- You also participated in research on the Senegalese sole, in which many hopes were placed within the aquaculture sector and on sustainable animal production. Are you attracted to other fields, or do you see your career centered on the world of rabbit breeding?
- As you can see, I didn't focus my research on a specific species. I'm more interested in the biological question; my work has always been focused on understanding the relationship between fundamental behaviors such as reproduction or aggression and their modulation through the nervous system.
Working with diverse and even rare animal models is a very useful tool for making comparisons and understanding the evolution of behavior. Also, working with non-model species, avoiding mice or zebrafish, allows for a better perception of certain behaviors as they are not very stereotyped.
Currently, my research group, Acuigen, has a very strong line of work in the aquaculture sector and the optimization of aquaculture production. When I joined the group, nobody was working with the olfactory system and its potential involvement in reproduction.
Combined with my experience in the field of smell and its relationship with reproduction, and the group's extensive experience in aquaculture, the opportunity arose to explore the olfactory system in sole and its involvement in the reproduction of the species, with the aim of improving production and the market. When I was at the University of Edinburgh, we secured an international collaborative project with USC that allowed us to advance our research. It is a very attractive project, which grew over time, and is now one of the lines of work of the Acuigen group, which we are still working on thanks to the award of a project under the national plan recently.
-And, in relation to this, it might seem that there are other fields of research, such as reproduction, fattening or the study of pathologies, which have much more scientific work to draw on than the field of behavior, for example.
-Yes, of course, in the field of behavior the studies are not as robust. Genetic improvement programs are more focused on achieving higher growth rates or shorter reproductive cycles. However, behavioral genetics is an emerging and very attractive field that aligns with European objectives for the improvement of animal welfare.
It is not only important for the animal to produce more, but it is also essential that it is healthy and not suffering from stress. Determining the genetic and molecular bases of animal behavior can contribute to improving its welfare, which in turn is linked to optimizing production.
-On another note, in the past, you have also received numerous awards, some of them with financial prizes, in competitions related to entrepreneurship. Do you see yourself in the future as an entrepreneur or as someone dedicated to management tasks? Someone with your CV and experience seems like a sweet treat for the business world...
- Science and industry, hand in hand, can offer very robust and satisfactory results. During my thesis, I collaborated with industry: I participated in several entrepreneurship activities, some of them awarded by USC, such as the Argos Prize, and I directed a project funded by the Xunta focused on the application of my thesis results to the rabbit sector.
So, although today, the direction of my professional career is focused on science, I don't rule out the entrepreneurial branch. I have an entrepreneurial streak, I like management and, as I mentioned before, my experience with the industrial fabric and with calls for entrepreneurship was always very positive.
-And the last one, where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
-I think this is the question I'm asked most, and the one I have the least answers for. A little over a year ago I had no idea I was going to be living in New York. My philosophy is to focus on what the next step is.
I'm currently a postdoc, a stage that I consider necessary and very enriching in terms of gaining the experience and confidence needed to become an independent researcher. So, I want to make the most of my time here.