Dr. Belén Moro

Dr. Belén Moro has always believed that the most powerful stories in science are the ones we tell ourselves. A molecular biologist turned science communicator and grant strategist, Belén is currently a Pre-Award Grant Manager at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) in Barcelona, Spain. After more than 15 years at the bench, spanning four countries and multiple prestigious fellowships, including the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Belén has shifted her focus to empowering the next generation of scientists. “My goal is to put the fun in funding,” she laughs.

Belén completed her undergraduate degree in Biotechnology at the National University of Rosario in Argentina. Her fascination with RNA began with a paragraph in Molecular Biology of the Cell (aka “the Alberts book”) that described XIST, the non-coding RNA gene responsible for silencing an entire X chromosome. “I had the edition featuring all the scientists who wrote it, styled as the Beatles in the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover. That quirky visual somehow made the discovery even more memorable.” The idea that RNA could silence a whole chromosome, not just participate in protein synthesis, lit a spark that would guide her for the next 15 years.

That curiosity led her to a Ph.D. at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology of Rosario, where she joined Dr. Javier Palatnik’s lab and dived deep into plant microRNA biogenesis. In a lab she fondly recalls “dancing next to the centrifuge” and “Wig Fridays,” she learned both the joy and the grit of scientific life. Her research focused on how plants employ diverse mechanisms, often distinct from animals, for processing microRNAs. Along the way, she learned that “there are experiments that give results and experiments that shape your character.” Doing science in Argentina also meant navigating some uniquely challenging conditions, like performing a flowering time experiment at 2 AM because, during summertime, the grid could only provide enough energy to power the growth chambers during the night, flipping day and night for Arabidopsis.

“There are experiments that give results and experiments that shape your character.”

One formative episode in her Ph.D. was a research stay in the U.S. in Dr. Blake Meyers’ lab (then at the University of Delaware), where she generated over 40 RNA libraries using a complex protocol called SPARE (SPARE = Specific Parallel Analysis of RNA Ends). The first sequencing results were a total failure. “I handled it very maturely by getting completely depressed for about three months,” she quips. But she persisted, optimized the protocol back in Argentina, and eventually published the results along with an award-winning journal cover inspired by Kandinsky’s Circles in a Circle. “It felt like that scene in Kill Bill where the Bride punches her way out of a coffin.” This whole experience taught her how essential it is to be resilient, and even a bit stubborn, in science. “If something is worth doing, it’s worth failing at a few times first.” She credits her survival in this trial-by-fire to the support of her lab mates and mentors: “None of it would have been possible without the wonderful group of people in and outside the lab who supported me through hell and back.”

Belén’s favorite RNA molecules remain microRNAs: “They are the perfect slice of regulation: concise, eloquent, and full of meaning.” Her postdoctoral research at the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) in Barcelona with Dr. Nicolás Bologna focused on the nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling of ARGONAUTE1 and its impact on small RNA loading. Alongside her research, she led a wide range of outreach activities, organized career panels and science communication workshops, and founded Science as Stories, a start-up that helps scientists harness the power of storytelling.

“There’s always one more PCR to run, one more gel to load, one more paper to read, but working all the time isn’t sustainable. Science requires boundaries.”

As a Junior Scientist Representative for the RNA Society, Belén helped organize multiple activities at the Annual Meetings in Edinburgh and San Diego. “Being behind the scenes gave me a whole new appreciation of what goes into making the RNA annual meeting happen. I learned how many great initiatives the RNA Society offers that can truly impact careers, like the mentor program, which helped me land my current job.”

Throughout her career, Belén has blended thoughtful reflection with a playful, irreverent edge. She advises early-career scientists not to take criticism personally: “Someone investing time to point out flaws in your experiments is doing you a favor. And always keep your sense of humor, it might be more useful than being besties with a Nature editor.” She also cautions about one of the biggest traps in science: the belief that you can always do more. “There’s always one more PCR to run, one more gel to load, one more paper to read, but working all the time isn’t sustainable. Science requires boundaries.” Her advice? “Work smarter, not harder”. Her final reminder? “Assume nothing. Think again about experiments you thought you understood. Imagination is essential to science.”

As a non-native English speaker, Belén is aware of the pressures many scientists face when presenting their work. She recalls how speaking in English sometimes felt like wearing a mask, offering unexpected freedom from perfectionism and a way to feel less exposed. While she knows that is certainly not everyone’s experience, she encourages others in the same boat to focus on what truly matters: “Most people in the audience are just trying to follow the science. You’re doing great.”

Whether mentoring students, leading workshops with Halloween puns (“Spooktacular Science Presentations: Tricks and Tips for Spellbinding Communication” for the RNA Society), or building a new kind of grant office role, Belén continues to combine rigor with humor, resilience with empathy, and research with storytelling. For her, RNA is not just a molecule; it’s a medium for meaning.

You can connect with Dr. Belén Moro on LinkedIn, and her start-up, Science as Stories, is also in the works; stay tuned!