Sara Borrell Ruiz (1917 – 1999) was a pioneering Spanish scientist, pharmacist, and biochemist renowned for her groundbreaking work in the analysis and metabolism of steroid hormones. Her contributions significantly advanced the field of biochemistry and endocrinology. Born into a liberal family in Madrid, Borrell Ruiz was influenced by her mother, Sara Ruiz Albéniz, a teacher and artist, and her father, José Borrell, a pharmacist and political activist. Despite initial challenges in pursuing higher education due to gender barriers, she enrolled in pharmacy studies at the University of Madrid in 1933. Her academic progress was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, but she completed her degree in 1940 and earned her doctorate in 1944 with a thesis on the composition of the Tagus River waters. Borrell Ruiz’s scientific career began in 1935 at the University of Madrid’s analytical chemistry laboratory, where she honed her skills in quantitative analysis. Her interest in hygiene and nutrition grew during her post-war studies. From 1941 to 1949, she served as an assistant professor of Bromatology at the University of Madrid. Her quest for further expertise took her to the Hanna Dairy Research Institute in Scotland in 1946, where she specialized in milk protein analysis. In 1949, Borrell Ruiz joined the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) as a researcher. She was soon invited by Gregorio Marañón to join the newly established Institute of Experimental Endocrinology to focus on hormone biochemistry. She continued her training in the United Kingdom and the United States, working at institutions such as the Dunn Nutritional Laboratory, the Courtauld Institute for Chemistry, and the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology. Returning to Spain, she led the Steroids Division at the Gregorio Marañón Institute and was a founding member of the Spanish Society for Biochemistry in 1963. In 1983, she moved to the Cajal Institute (CSIC), where she continued her research until her retirement in 1989. Sara Borrell Ruiz’s pioneering work in steroid hormone biochemistry and her significant contributions to the field have left a lasting legacy in the scientific community.

click here