María Pía Tavella is an Argentine biological anthropologist and science writer. In conversation with host Eshe Lewis, María shares a snapshot of the multiple hurdles the scientific community is facing in Argentina and reflects on the role of science communication. How is scientific research related to our daily lives? In what ways are science contributions so valuable to our societies that we shouldn't cut spending on them, even in times of economic crisis?

María Pía Tavella received a Ph.D in anthropology from the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina) and is an assistant professor in human evolution in the same institution. María Pía’s dissertation sheds light on pre-Hispanic population dynamics in central Argentina through the study of ancient DNA. She works for the National Scientific and Technological Research Council of Argentina as a science communication and outreach officer. María Pía is also interested in bioethics and the social implications of genetic research.

Check out these related resources:

• “‘Despair’: Argentinian Researchers Protest as President Begins Dismantling Science”


• “Argentinians Stage Nationwide Strike Against Javier Milei’s Far-Right Agenda”


• “‘The State’ Is a Story We Tell Ourselves”


• “Can Protestors Humanize the Police?”


• “A Radical Recentering of Dignity”