# Sara Borrell Ruiz

Sara Borrell Ruiz (Madrid, Spain 1917 - Madrid, Spain 1999) was a Spanish scientist, pharmacist and biochemist known for her pioneering work on the analysis and metabolism of steroid hormones.

## Biography

Sara Borrell Ruiz grew up in Madrid in a liberal family in favour of women's higher education. Her mother, Sara Ruiz Albéniz, was a teacher, an artist, and the niece of the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz, who worked as assistant of the painter Cecilio Plá. Her father, José Borrell, was a pharmacist from a family that owned a pharmacy in the centre of the Spanish capital and a member of the party "Izquierda Republicana" who was incarcerated for the first years of the Spanish Franco's dictatorship. This environment explains Sara's education and scientific choices.
She tried to enroll at university as an agricultural engineer like her brother, but she wasn't accepted due to her gender, She then decided to study pharmacy at the University of Madrid (a predecessor of the Complutense University of Madrid) in 1933. Her studies were interrupted by the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), but she completed her degree in 1940 and her doctorate in 1944 with a PhD thesis on the composition of the waters of the Tagus river.

## Scientific career

She started working in 1935 in the analytical chemistry laboratory at the University of Madrid where she learned quantitative analysis techniques. While completing her doctorate in the tough post-war era in Spain, she became more interested in hygiene and nutrition. From 1941 to 1949, she worked as assistant professor of Bromatology at the University of Madrid. In 1946, she left Spain to carry out postdoctoral research at the Hanna Dairy Research Institute in Ayr, Scotland. She learned the analysis and manipulation of milk proteins, which was a field in which she specialized. Sara was a pioneering Spanish scientist, pharmacist, and biochemist renowned for her groundbreaking research in the analysis and metabolism of steroid hormones. Over the course of her career, she became a leading figure in biochemistry and endocrinology, making significant contributions to hormone research.
In 1949, she became a researcher with tenure at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the following year Gregorio Marañón asked her to join the new Institute of Experimental Endocrinology (at the CSIC) to work on the biochemistry of hormones. To complete her training in the field, in 1950 she went to Cambridge, England to work at the Dunn Nutritional Laboratory and later at the Courtauld Institute for Chemistry at Middlesex Hospital in London. In 1953 she worked on the biochemistry of steroid hormones with Gregory Pincus at the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, United States.
Back in Spain, she managed the Steroids Division of the "Gregorio Marañón Institute", which was created after the death of the Spanish physician, scientist and philosopher. In 1963 she was a founding member of the Spanish Society for Biochemistry. In 1983 she moved to the new Cajal Institute (CSIC) where she remained until her retirement in 1989.
Her contributions: 1. Research on Tumor Growth: Focused on identifying the biochemical factors that cause cancer cells to multiply uncontrollably. Her research laid the groundwork for future advancements in chemotherapy and radiation therapies.
2. Female Leadership in Science: In addition to her scientific achievements, she was one of the few women at the time to make a significant mark in a research field predominantly dominated by men. She acted as a trailblazer, breaking the glass ceiling for future generations of women in science.
3. Advancement in Diagnostic Methods: One of her critical innovations was in the area of diagnostics. She helped develop new techniques for the early detection of cancer, which significantly impacted how clinicians approach cancer diagnosis today.
4. Mentorship and Advocacy for Women in Science: Throughout her career, Borrell worked to mentor and encourage young female scientists, emphasizing the importance of gender equality in research and healthcare. This advocacy for women's roles in science had a lasting effect on later generations.

## Impact on Society Today

Sara Borrell Ruiz's work has had lasting implications for medical research and the treatment of cancer. Her contributions to understanding the biological mechanisms of tumors laid the foundation for the development of targeted therapies and other innovative cancer treatments that are still in use today. Moreover, her focus on early detection methods continues to influence diagnostic practices, contributing to increased survival rates for various types of cancer. Sara's work continues to influence contemporary research in the fight against cancer. While the field has progressed, her impact remains embedded in the scientific methods and treatments in use today.

## Legacy

Her research lead to publications in scientific journals such as Hormone Research Journal of Endocrinology, Biochemical Journal and Nature. Sara Borrell Ruiz's major contribution was in the field of oncology, particularly her pioneering work in the **research of cancer and its treatment. She was one of the first to explore the biological mechanisms of cancer, especially in understanding how tumor cells grow and spread. One of the pain points she aimed to address was the limited understanding of cancer's pathology, and how such knowledge could be applied to more effective treatments. She sought to develop innovative medical techniques and methods to enhance early cancer detection, treatment, and ultimately patient survival rates.
Many young researchers were trained or supervised by her and the Carlos III Health Institute gave Sara Borrell's name to a Grant program of postdoctoral training that is still in existence. Her legacy as a woman scientist in a male-dominated field has inspired countless women to enter STEM fields, particularly in the medical and scientific communities. Sara's life and work exemplified the combination of scientific curiosity, perseverance, and social advocacy, and she remains a significant figure in the history of both Spanish and global science. While challenges remain, Sara's life story has contributed to a broader societal shift toward more inclusive representation in science. Her pioneering career helped pave the way for the increasing number of women in research, particularly in the medical and biological sciences.