TRIP Initiative

US The Health Advocate Who Spoke to a Nation
Puerto Rico - Public Health
“I wanted to become a doctor so that no other child had to wait 18 years for surgery.” – Antonia Coello Novello

Antonia Coello Novello, born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, became a powerful symbol of public service and health equity. She made history in 1990 as the first woman and first Hispanic to be appointed Surgeon General of the United States. In that role, she led national campaigns focused on protecting children, empowering women, and addressing the needs of underserved communities.

As a child, she endured a congenital intestinal condition that required repeated hospitalizations. That experience lit a fire in her to become a doctor so that “no other child would have to wait 18 years for surgery.” She earned her medical degree in Puerto Rico, specialized in pediatric nephrology, and subsequently completed a public health degree at Johns Hopkins University.
As Surgeon General, Novello tackled youth smoking, HIV prevention, child health, and immunization, while advocating fiercely for marginalized populations. She later worked with UNICEF and served as New York State Health Commissioner, continuing to shape public health policy with a focus on compassion and justice.

Manuel’s blog post is here! Learn more about his experience in TRIP Explore at tripinitiative.com!

US Pioneer in Molecular Biology - Spain
Margarita Salas was a visionary scientist who brought molecular biology to Spain and left a lasting global legacy. Born in the village of Canero during the Spanish Civil War, she pursued chemistry at a time when few women entered science. After earning her PhD, she trained under Nobel Laureate Severo Ochoa in New York, then returned to Spain to lay the foundations of molecular biology.

Her most impactful discovery was the phi29 DNA polymerase, an enzyme able to replicate tiny amounts of DNA with precision. This breakthrough transformed forensics, cancer diagnostics, and ancient DNA studies, and remains CSIC’s most profitable patent.

She was the first woman to head a biomedical research center in Spain, the first female president of the Spanish Biochemistry Society, and the first Spanish woman elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
“With passion, patience, and experimental rigor, you can leave a mark in science.” — Margarita Salas

“As a fellow woman from a small northern Spanish town near where she was born, Margarita showed me — and thousands of others — that it’s possible to dream big, lead with purpose, and inspire globally while staying true to your origins” Angela Fernandez-Iglesias, Ph.D.

Mother of Marine Conservation in the Caribbean
“Ever since I was a child, the sea challenged me. It was a mystery I wanted to solve.”

Born and raised by the ocean in the Dominican Republic, Idelisa Bonnelly was captivated by its beauty and mysteries. In the 1950s, when marine biology didn’t exist in her country, she crossed the ocean to study in New York. She returned with a mission: to teach, to protect, and to transform her nation’s relationship with the sea.

She founded the first marine biology program and the Institute of Marine Biology (CIBIMA). Under her leadership, the Dominican Republic created fishing bans, conservation zones, and the world’s first humpback whale sanctuary in the North Atlantic—a groundbreaking model of marine protection. Her work combined science, policy, and community education, shaping conservation across the region.

Beyond research, Idelisa was a tireless mentor who inspired new generations of Dominican biologists to safeguard the nation’s natural heritage. She proved that science can be more than knowledge—it can be a tool for environmental justice, cultural identity, and empowerment.

Her legacy lives on in the protected waters she helped establish and in the collective awareness that the sea is not only a resource, but a shared heritage.

Maruf’s blog post is here! Learn more about his experience in TRIP Explore at tripinitiative.com!

Erin’s blog post is here! Learn more about her experience in TRIP Explore at tripinitiative.com!

Mother of Marine Conservation in the Caribbean
“Ever since I was a child, the sea challenged me. It was a mystery I wanted to solve.”

Born and raised by the ocean in the Dominican Republic, Idelisa Bonnelly was captivated by its beauty and mysteries. In the 1950s, when marine biology didn’t exist in her country, she crossed the ocean to study in New York. She returned with a mission: to teach, to protect, and to transform her nation’s relationship with the sea.

She founded the first marine biology program and the Institute of Marine Biology (CIBIMA). Under her leadership, the Dominican Republic created fishing bans, conservation zones, and the world’s first humpback whale sanctuary in the North Atlantic—a groundbreaking model of marine protection. Her work combined science, policy, and community education, shaping conservation across the region.

Beyond research, Idelisa was a tireless mentor who inspired new generations of Dominican biologists to safeguard the nation’s natural heritage. She proved that science can be more than knowledge—it can be a tool for environmental justice, cultural identity, and empowerment.

Her legacy lives on in the protected waters she helped establish and in the collective awareness that the sea is not only a resource, but a shared heritage.

We have to provide role models and show young women that not only can it be done, it can be done well.” — Angela Nieto

Dr. María Ángela Nieto, born in Madrid in 1960, is a leading molecular and cell biologist whose pioneering work bridges developmental biology and cancer research. Inspired by a high school biology teacher, she pursued a career in science that would achieve global impact.

Her most significant contribution focuses on the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), vital for embryonic development but reactivated in adults in ways that drive cancer progression and metastasis. This breakthrough reshaped cancer biology and opened new therapeutic possibilities.
She has held professorships at Spain’s Institute for Neurosciences and been elected to the European Molecular Biology Organization and the Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences. Her honors include the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award for Europe and Spain’s National Research Award Santiago Ramón y Cajal.

Beyond her research, Dr. Nieto is a passionate advocate for science communication and for empowering the next generation—especially women—to pursue careers in STEM. She emphasizes perseverance and resilience, encouraging them to “explore with rigor and generosity.”