Joëlle Mesén-Ramírez (they/them/their) is a Costa Rican-born molecular biologist, parasitologist and multidisciplinary artist living in Hamburg, Germany, since 2012. As a malaria researcher, they have published numerous papers focusing on fundamental biological processes of the malaria pathogen Plasmodium falciparum. Since 2022, they have been experimenting with and developing performances and artistic works that operate at the intersections of biology, performance and decolonial critique, combining scientific methods with artistic media.

Their artistic projects focuses on parasitism as a biological phenomenon that can be translated into social dynamics, visual arts and performative approaches. What links parasites and marginalised groups? How can parasitism serve as a model for the relationships between trans non-binary people and an exclusionary society? Is parasitism a resistance strategy for these stigmatised groups to dismantle and transform structurally discriminatory conditions in society? How can queer people reappropiate the term parasite that far-right and fascist regimes have instrumentalized to legimitise their oppresion?

They also explore the connection between colonialism and the distribution and impact of parasitic diseases in the Global South, denouncing and criticizing colonial structures of inequality and exploitation in health and science.

From the perspective of a trans scholar with a migrant background their work aims to subvert hegemonic knowledge systems as well as to address dynamics of exclusion and discrimination, hence opening up spaces for voices that remain invisible in academia and arts. They offer artists academic consultancy and curation for artistic and performative projects that engage with biological and biochemical approaches.

As La Carpio, they are also a co-organiser and DJ at various events within the subcultural queer scene in Hamburg