After graduating from Carmen Bozello de Huyke High School, she attended the Mayagüez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry.
[2] Among the scientific works which she has co-authored is the 2008 article[6] "Vertical Growth of Ge Nanowires from Biotemplated Au Nanoparticle Catalysts," published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, volume 130, issue 10488.
[6] After completing her PhD, Sierra-Sastre worked as a senior research scientist and microscopist at two nanotechnology start-up companies in Ithaca, New York, where she designed, developed and characterized nanostructured coatings for medical devices/diagnostics, lithium-ion batteries, and the textile sector.
[7] She now serves as a Project Manager at NASA supporting the Mars Sample Return[8] [9] and lunar VIPER (Volatile Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) missions.
In 2013, the NASA Human Research Program funded a project called "HI-SEAS," an acronym for “Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation,” to determine the best way to keep astronauts well nourished during multiple-year missions to Mars or the moon.
[3][14] Members of the crew were given items such as shirts, bedsheets, and socks, and were asked to fill out surveys rating qualitative factors like odor, comfort, and appearance.
In 2016 she assembled a team of students, educators, scientists, engineers, and makers who designed a CubeSat payload that flew onboard Project Perlan's glider during a high-altitude flight in Calafate, Argentina.