University of Auckland PhD candidate Sandra Gómez-Gálvez has been selected for the prestigious L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Mentoring Programme, making her the only doctoral student from New Zealand in this year’s cohort.
The six-month programme pairs emerging women researchers across Australasia with leaders in STEM. Gómez-Gálvez will be mentored by Maria Kleshnina, a mathematician and game theorist at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). In addition to one-on-one mentoring sessions, she will take part in professional development workshops alongside the programme’s other mentees.
Sandra Gómez-Gálvez, PhD candidate in Computer Science at the University of Auckland
Originally from Madrid, Spain, Gómez-Gálvez is in the final stages of her PhD in Computer Science, focusing on developing artificial intelligence systems that are not only accurate, but also well-calibrated for real-world applications.
Although her research is primarily theoretical, focusing on the calibration of deep neural networks, one of its practical applications supports Aotearoa New Zealand’s conservation and predator-control efforts. By developing well-calibrated deep learning models capable of distinguishing animal species in camera-trap imagery, her work contributes to more reliable wildlife monitoring and biosecurity initiatives.
“As an international student and immigrant, being selected for the L’Oréal-UNESCO programme is an incredible opportunity,” says Gómez-Gálvez. “It reinforces my confidence that I can build a future in New Zealand while making meaningful contributions to science. Research is not only about producing new knowledge, but about making that knowledge accessible, useful, and impactful for society.”
Gómez-Gálvez’s journey into science began with a childhood passion for Sudoku and mathematical problem-solving in her hometown neighbourhood of El Ruedo, Madrid. Over the years, scholarships, awards, and research opportunities enabled her to continue her studies and eventually move to New Zealand to pursue doctoral research.
Prior to her PhD, she worked on projects ranging from artificial intelligence for physical rehabilitation using exoskeletons and brain-computer interfaces to technologies designed to improve safety in crowded environments.
A strong advocate for science communication, she was a finalist in the University of Auckland’s 2024 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, presenting her research to a broad public audience.
Gómez-Gálvez hopes the mentoring programme will help her continue growing as a researcher, scientist, and developer.
Gómez-Gálvez’s PhD research is funded through the Biosecurity Technology Spearhead project and a University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship Extension, under the supervision of Dr Katerina Taškova and Professor Gillian Dobbie.
Sandra Gómez-Gálvez conducting fieldwork as a Research Assistant for the Biosecurity Technology Spearhead project in a New Zealand forest
Sandra Gómez-Gálvez locating and servicing sensor nodes as part of the Biosecurity Technology Spearhead project in New Zealand
Acknowledgement: Parts of this article were adapted from an original news story by Paul Panckhurst, Science Media Adviser at the University of Auckland.