[3] She credits her interest in plant biology to her grandmother, who was a curandera (a traditional medicine healer), and her father, who grew roses in their garden.

[3] She carried out her first experiments in plant biology at the age of seven, when she compared the growth of lentils in the sunlight and in the shade.

[3][4][1] She was awarded a Ford Foundation doctoral fellowship to continue her studies, and went on to do a PhD in plant cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley, graduating in 1978.

[4][1] She focuses her research on beans and corn, with the aim of creating crops that can resist cooler temperatures.

[4] Between 2001 and 2002, Zavala also served as the first Chicana president of the Society of Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science.

[2][13][14][6][15][excessive citations] She contributed to the book "Flor y Ciencia: Chicanas in Mathematics, Science and Engineering".