21st century Women Technologists: Lorena González

This time we introduce you to our colleague Lorena. Born in Tomiño, a village in Baixo Miño region, Lorena is a Telecommunications Engineer specialising in Telematics and is now working as a researcher in in the area of eHealth at Gradiant. In addition to her work, our colleague loves walking, enjoying nature and travelling.

What did you want to do when you were younger?

I was never sure what I wanted to be when I grew up, but just before I had to choose a career I had a strong inclination towards architecture. It was luckily for me that I was able to rectify in time, as I later realised that architecture was not what I expected.

Why did you choose technology for your future?

Although I was not bad at writing, I found the scientific-technical area much more fun. And within this field the technological part always attracted me more, since I saw it much more applicable.

Where did you plan to do your career? Why?

I chose ‘teleco’ because since I didn’t know what I wanted to do, it was the most versatile career and it covered a wider range of professional opportunities. The truth is that I don’t regret this choice at all. I studied at the University of Vigo where Telecommunications School has a good reputation. In addition it is close to home.

What are you currently working on?

I work in the Health sector, applying ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) to this area to improve health care. In particular, my earlier work focuses on research and development of Clinical Decision Support Systems.

What do you like most about your job?

What I like the most is working with the latest technologies and continuing to learn constantly. In addition, working on your passion by contributing to an area such as health improvement is very rewarding.

Who is your feminine reference in tech world?

I don’t have any feminine or masculine references, but I am interested in Florence Nightingale’s story. She was able to transform the world of nursing and hospitals not with her skills as a nurse, but with her statistical contributions. She pioneered the idea that social phenomena can be measured and subjected to mathematical analysis.

What would you say to the technologist of the future?

Solutions to problems don’t have to be complex, the complex thing is to find them.