Professor Yolanda Castañeda Zavala has a Bachelor's degree in Sociology, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) Azcapotzalco Campus, a Master's degree in Rural Development, UAM Xochimilco Campus and a Ph.D. in Rural Development Studies, Colegio de Postgraduados. Professor at the Department of Sociology at UAM Azcapotzalco Campus. She has participated in the Area of Social Impacts of Biotechnology since 1990. She is a member of the National System of Researchers, level I.

In 1991 she was awarded the Medal for University Merit in undergraduate studies, UAM Azcapotzalco Campus, 1992. Research Diploma, first place in the contest organized by the Division of Social Sciences and Humanities, UAM Azcapotzalco Campus 2005, Honorable Mention by the Colegio de Postgraduados; award for the doctoral thesis "Possible socioeconomic repercussions of transgenic corn against crop pests in Jalisco, Sinaloa and Veracruz", granted by the Asociación Mexicana de Estudios Rurales A. C., 2005, 2005; Teaching Award in 2007 by UAM Azacapotzalco Campus; Research Areas Award in 2010, UAM Azacapotzalco Campus; from 2013 to 2015, President of the National Executive Committee of the Mexican Association of Rural Studies A.C. She participates in the Postgraduate Program in Rural Development, Xochimilco Campus.

Research topics within which she develops: social impacts of biotechnology; food sovereignty and security; viability of new technologies for small farmers; sustainable development, and sociology of technology. Coordinator of the Bachelor's Degree in Sociology UAM Azcapotzalco Campus, 2012-2014. Divisional Research Coordinator at the DCSH, UAM Azcapotzalco Campus, 2016-2018. Director of the electronic journal TIEMPO UAM. Society, Culture and Technology. She currently serves as Head of the Area "Social Impacts of Biotechnology" in the Department of Sociology.

Publications: Yolanda Castañeda Zavala and Yolanda Cristina Massieu Trigo (2016). Corn seeds in Mexico: artifact, common good and living being, in Revista Sociedades Rurales, Producción y Medio Ambiente, Vol. 17, No. 32. Edit. UAM Xochimilco Campus. Castañeda Zavala Yolanda and José Francisco Avila Castañeda. (2017). "Preservation of native maize diversity in Puebla in the face of technological change", in México rural ante los retos del siglo XXI. Seguridad Alimentaria Cavallotti Vázquez, Beatriz A. And Keilbach Baer, Nicola María (coordinators) Edit. Mexican Association of Rural Studies, UAN and UACH. Juárez, Paula and Castañeda Zavala, Yolanda (2017). "Dynamics of cooperation and knowledge appropriation. sociotechnical analysis of public research agendas for food sovereignty in Argentina and Mexico", in REDES. Revista de estudios sociales de la ciencia y la tecnología. National University of Quilmes, Argentina. Vol. 23, No. 44. Castañeda Zavala, Y., Massieu Trigo, Y. C. Talavera Martínez, I. (2018). "Género, organización y defensa del maíz nativo: las mujeres del Grupo Vicente Guerrero (GVG), in Vizcarra Bordi, I. (coordinator), Volteando la tortilla. Género y maíz en la alimentación actual de México. Juan Pablo Editor, Conacyt, UAEM.