Ana M. Durán Quesada is an associate professor in the School of Physics of the University of Costa Rica. She graduated from Physics at the University of Costa Rica and from the MSc. Program in Meteorology, Physical Oceanography and Climate Change, she is also a PhD. in Applied Physics, both from the University of Vigo in Spain. She was a doctoral intern at the Norwegian Institute for Air Research and the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development and visiting researcher in the University of Tokyo. Since 2012 she is a professor at the University of Costa Rica and conducts her research combining field work and modelling. Her research focuses on understanding the soil-plant-atmosphere interaction processes within the hydrological cycle, moisture transport processes, isotopic meteorology and the interplay of the large and regional scales in the development of tropical convection and controls of greenhouse gases emissions. Her field work often includes a component on impacts of rainfall and surface fluxes on agriculture and forests. She combines her research with initiatives to foster the development of women careers in STEM and include the gender perspective in climate research as a way to promote gender equity in research and the decision making process and promote a leading role of women in climate sciences. She is coordinator of the Isotopes Network for Tropical Ecosystem Studies and the Iberoamerican Women Network for Climate Action.