Her Story
About Cinthya
Dr. Cinthya Aguero Murillo is a physician-scientist and Alzheimer’s disease researcher whose career reflects resilience, determination, and a deep commitment to advancing medical knowledge. Trained as a medical doctor abroad, she came to Boston one of the world’s most competitive centers for medicine and biomedical research to pursue her passion for neuroscience and dementia research. Today, she serves as a full-time researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Instructor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School, where she has dedicated the past decade to Alzheimer’s disease research, with a particular focus on the characterization and advancement of tau PET tracers and biomarker development.
Her journey has been marked by significant personal and professional challenges. Arriving in the United States more than ten years ago with limited English proficiency, Dr. Aguero Murillo faced the demanding task of adapting to a new culture and academic environment while pursuing excellence in one of the most rigorous medical communities in the world. Through perseverance, intellectual curiosity, and an unwavering commitment to growth, she established herself as a respected researcher in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. Her work has contributed to a greater understanding of Alzheimer’s disease pathology and the development of innovative tools for early detection and diagnosis, helping to advance the future of dementia care and treatment.
Beyond her scientific achievements, Dr. Aguero Murillo draws inspiration from her role as a mother. Having become a parent at the age of 18, she credits her daughter as the driving force behind her pursuit of knowledge, professional growth, and personal excellence. Motivated by the desire to provide her daughter with greater opportunities and to lead by example, she embraced the philosophy that meaningful leadership comes from demonstrating what is possible rather than simply talking about it. Today, as her daughter prepares to graduate from law school in Costa Rica, Dr. Aguero Murillo takes pride not only in her daughter's accomplishments but also in their shared commitment to making a positive impact on the world. Together, they exemplify how dedication, education, and service can create lasting change across generations.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cinthya
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think I love knowledge and have always been curious. I've always wanted to know, always wanted to understand things, and I think that's been the main feature in my brain that I want to know, that I want to understand, that I'm always looking for the better possible answer from different angles. Even in my younger ages, I was always curious. The fact that I became a mom very young gave me a path and a reason to be better, to keep my curiosity growing in order to give her a better, more educated mom and a better life in all the possibilities that I have. That combination in my particular history never let me give up. The curiosity has been always there, and the fact that I have a reason to keep doing it was definitely my driver.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't give up. You can do it. You are there for a reason, and sometimes it's difficult to believe, especially at the beginning. In my case, I came to one of the most competitive environments in medicine - not only Boston, but Harvard Medical School - and I had to add the layer of language on top of everything. My English 10 years ago was not poor, it was the level below poor, it was very bad. But I didn't give up, so I'm here. Our stories need to be out there for all our population, particularly the Latin population. Some people feel that they cannot do it just because of their condition, and that's not true. We can do it. It hasn't been easy at all - I am a single mom with a daughter - and it didn't make it easier, but it's doable.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
In the medical world, particularly in neurology, there is still work to be done regarding gender representation in leadership. It's very interesting - more women get educated as doctors than men. In medical school, even in my country 16 years ago, we were around 70% women and only 30% men. However, after we graduate and in the hospitals, all the chiefs are men. It is shifting, which is very rewarding and nice to see, but there is still room that has to be improved. There is still a lot of work to get done in some fields. Even though more women go to school and graduate better, or more in quantity, the top positions, the leadership positions, are still in men's hands.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I believe in being an example rather than just talking. Rather than telling my daughter what to do, I wanted to show her - look, this is what you can achieve, this is how you can do it, and I'm going to always be here for you to support anything you want to do. I think it worked well. My daughter and I both share the intention of helping, the willingness to help, the willingness to live in a better world and to leave a better world for the new generations. She is doing it from the legal side, and I try to do it from the doctor's perspective, but we share that in common the willingness to help.
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