About us
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This project is a unique collaboration between the scientific research group of Prof. Ruiz de Almodovar and a visionary textile artist, Paula Urrutia (Ñemikafe), united by a shared goal: to bring science beyond the lab and into everyday life.
Deeply engaged in science communication, we aim to transform abstract data and concepts into art that helps to understand biology and speaks to broader audiences, making science approachable, inspiring, and human.
Together, we believe science should be part of everyday conversations—something you can see, touch, and connect with, not just read about in journals or hear about in lectures.
Ruiz de Almodóvar's research group
Prof. Carmen Ruiz de Almodóvar joined the scientific and research community in 2022 in Bonn as the director of the Institute for Neurovascular Cell Biology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Bonn. Her research group is composed of a international team of scientists all interested in understanding the vasculature of the brain: how it works, how it functions and how it interacts with the cells of the brain (neurons, glia, microglia, etc). Work from her group shows that the brain vasculature is an active player in the development of the central nervous system and that both neurons and blood vessels maintaining a tight bi-directional communication to assure that the brain forms and functions properly. A goal of her group is to bring their science closer to society and to engage society through divers outreach activities.
Ñemikafe - Paula Urrutia
About the Artist
Paula Urrutia is an artist working at the intersection of art and science. She studied Marine Biology in Chile, USA, and Japan. After graduating from the University of Tokyo, she enhanced her scientific career with an MBA. Since then, she has been leading multidisciplinary projects and teams at the interface of science and management at top bioscience research institutions in Germany. Deeply inspired by amazing textile art exhibitions, and after a brief and insightful stay at the atelier of Julia San Martin in 2019, Urrutia began her creative journey into the aesthetic realms of biological processes, becoming Ñemikafe, an embroidery artist. Ñemikafe plays with the tactile richness of textiles and natural fibres for portraying the enchanting textures of the microscopic elements of life. Her artworks have been exhibited in Germany, Italy, and the Unite
