In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we journey into the heart of the Amazon and the mind of a remarkable woman pushing the boundaries of science, culture, and conservation—Dr. Rosa Vásquez Espinoza.
Rosa is a Peruvian chemical biologist, National Geographic Explorer, UN Harmony with Nature Scientist, and the founder of Amazon Research Internacional.
Splitting her time between Bath, England, and the Peruvian rainforest, Rosa blends cutting-edge research with ancestral knowledge to protect biodiversity and uplift indigenous communities.
Her journey—from a curious child growing up in Peru to leading expeditions in the Amazon, researching the legendary Boiling River, studying stingless bees, and authoring The Spirit of the Rainforest—is nothing short of extraordinary. Rosa shares how she learned expedition skills later in life, why documenting indigenous science is crucial, and what it means to be a female scientist navigating international platforms like the UN and COP16.
This conversation is packed with insight into climate resilience, overcoming self-doubt, and the healing power of nature, science, and community. Rosa's message is a powerful call to action for women everywhere: follow the questions that stay in your head—you never know where they may lead.
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.
Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/
Your support makes a difference. 
Thank you x
Show notes
- Who is Dr Rosa
- Currently living in Bath
- Being based between England and Peru
- Working as a Peruvian scientistic
- National Geographic Explorer
- Leading science and conservation efforts in the Amazon Rainforest
- Having a deep connection to her indigenous roots
- Her early years living in Peru and relationship with her grandmother
- Spending time in the city and the mountains
- Being fascinated by the things she couldn't understand
- Loving space and wanted to know everything about the planet
- Having a fascination for science
- Wanting to dedicate her life to the Amazon
- Getting her PhD in Chemical Biology from Michigan University
- Taking a year off to get more work experience and reconsidering her whole life
- Being able to study traditional Chineses medicine in Beijing in her last year of undergrad
- The Amazon Boiling River
- Ted Talk - Andrés Ruzo
- Book: The Boiling River (TED) by Andrés Ruzo
- Discovering new microbes in the river
- Boiling mud
- Book: The Spirit of the Rainforest: How indigenous wisdom and scienti
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com