Olivia Carolina Narciso Pedro was born in the Mozambican coastal city of Inhambane in a family of eight. Her father, a strict teacher, emphasized the importance of education in the household. “All of us have studied to the university level,” says Pedro. At first, she had wanted to study human medicine but was convinced by her to take up veterinary medicine. She obtained her bachelor’s degree at Eduardo Mondlane University and did her practical training at the university’s Biotechnology Center (CB-UEM), where she was introduced to molecular biology techniques. “We didn’t have molecular biology practices in the curriculum,” says Pedro. With encouragement from the faculty dean, Luís Neves, Pedro learned the new techniques, finishing her laboratory studies within three months, allowing her to write and submit her research report within the recommended period.