Hilda Cid: physicist, crystallographer, structural biologist
Abstract
A brief review of Dr. Hilda Cid, Chilean scientist who excelled in the field of crystallography, is presented. Dr. Cid was born in 1933 in Talcahuano, where she completed her primary and secondary education, graduating as a Teacher of mathematics and physics from the University of Chile in 1958. She continued graduate studies at MIT, USA, where obtained the PhD in 1964. Upon her return to Chile, she joined the Austral University in Valdivia, where she dedicated to characterize, by X-ray, biological material. During that time, she was actively involved in the social changes taking place in the university and in the country. Thus, following the bloody coup of 1973, she and her family were persecuted and forced to go into exile to Sweden. In the decade of the 1980 she returns to Chile, and settles at University of Concepción, where she teaches, conducts research and organizes a number of latino-american courses and symposiums. Knowing that Hilda Cid formed a real school, where her students -now distinguished professionals and researchers- cast their teachings through Chile and other countries, we ended the article with a reflection about why Hilda Cid, despite its obvious scientific achievements, remains ignored by most of the scientific establishment in Chile.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Physics Conference Series
- Pub Date:
- May 2016
- DOI:
- 10.1088/1742-6596/720/1/012058
- Bibcode:
- 2016JPhCS.720a2058G