Helia Bravo Hollis

Helia Bravo-Hollis (30 September 1901 – 26 September 2001) was a Mexican botanist, distinguished with the titles of Emeritus Researcher and honoris causa doctorate by the UNAM. For many years she developed her scientific research at the Faculty of Sciences of the same university.

She was born and raised in the neighborhood of Mixcoac, in Mexico City. Her vocation for the study of living beings came from Sunday walks with her parents.

Though the Mexican Revolution conflicts affected her family, she made progress with her studies and entered high school in 1919.

Saint Ildefonso (National Preparatory High School), in Mexico City, was a very interesting institution for her, with professors like Vicente Lombardo Toledano, Sotero Prieto, Erasmo Castellano, Antonio Caso, and , who influences in the interest of Helia for the biological sciences.

Successfully finishing high school, she continued her studies in medicine, as there was pressure from her family to follow that profession and Biology was not available as a career in the UNAM. Fortunately, such opportunity arose a year afterwards, and she transferred to study at the College of Sciences of the same university.

In 1931, she obtained the degree of Master of Science in Biological Sciences from the College of Philosophy and Letters of the UNAM, with the thesis Contribution to the knowledge of the cactus of Tehuacán, Puebla.

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