About Sheila
Sheila is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Ryan’s Lab at Colorado State University (CSU). She works at the new CSU Spur Campus in Denver, where she collaborates within the Spur’s Health Education and Lifelong Food Solutions (SHELFS) initiative. Sheila is developing food and nutrition programs that directly impact the health of Coloradans and particularly of people in the Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea neighborhoods (GES communities).
She is interested in plant sciences, food security, and community outreach. Her professional journey began with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry focused on agriculture from the Autonomous University of Queretaro, Mexico. Sheila’s curiosity about cellular processes led her to pursue a master’s and Ph.D. in plant biotechnology at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV, Campus Irapuato). For nearly a decade, she collaborated with CINVESTAV and the International Center for Maize and Wheat Breeding (CIMMYT), developing corn varieties rich in anthocyanins and carotenoids.
Besides research, she is a passionate teacher and has been awarded the best-evaluated teacher at De La Salle University. Her work has also involved community empowerment, including a project that seeks to dignify the labor of small farmers.