| L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards |
The L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards, created in 1998, aim to improve the position of women in science by recognizing outstanding women researchers who have contributed to scientific progress. The awards are a result of a partnership between the Foundation of the French company L'Oréal and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and carry a grant of $100,000 USD for each laureate. This award is also known as the L'Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Awards.[1] [2] [3] [4]
Each year an international jury awards five laureates, selecting one from each of the following regions:
Eligibility requirements alternate every other year based on scientific discipline with laureates in life sciences recognized in even years and laureates in physical sciences, mathematics and computer science recognized in odd years (since 2003).
The same partnership awards the UNESCO-L'Oréal International Fellowships, providing up to $40,000 USD in funding over two years to fifteen young women scientists engaged in exemplary and promising research projects.[5] The Fellowship awards began in 2000[6] with a one-year award of US$20,000 and offered ten awards until 2003. In 2003, the number of awards increased to 15 and then in 2006, the grant period extended to two years and the amount of the award increased to US$40,000.[7] In 2015, the name Rising Talent Grants was implemented.[8]
As of 2023, 7 L'Oréal-UNESCO laureates have won also a Nobel Prize, these are: Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard in Physiology or Medicine (1995 - unlike the others, she had won the Nobel Prize before receiving this International Award), Elizabeth Blackburn in Physiology or Medicine (2008), Ada Yonath in Chemistry (2009), Emmanuelle Charpentier in Chemistry (2020), Jennifer Doudna in Chemistry (2020), Katalin Karikó in Physiology or Medicine (2023) and Anne L'Huillier in Physics (2023).
Legend:
| Credentials | scope = col class = unsortable | Recognized for (her) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | LS | Africa and the Arab States | Grace Oladunni Taylor | Biochemist, scholar, university professor. | contributions to epidemiology cardio vascular disease in Africa | |
| Asia and the Pacific | Researcher and professor on micro Biological Sciences at Korean Institute of Science and Technology. | discoveries of protein folding and its relationship to human pathology | ||||
| Europe | Pascale Cossart | Professor at Bacteria-Cell interaction Unit, Institut Pasteur | elucidation of the mechanisms whereby pathogenic bacteria subvert immune defenses | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Gloria Montenegro | Professor of botanic at the Faculty of Agronomy and Forestry Sciences Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile | efforts to apply modern science to the protection of plant ecosystems | |||
| 2000 | LS | Africa and the Arab States | Researching at Molecular Mycobacteriology Research Unit, National Health Sciences Laboratory Service and University of the Witwatersrand | contributions to the fight against tuberculosis and other infectious diseases | ||
| Asia and the Pacific | Tsuneko Okazaki | Professor of Molecular Biological Sciences at the Institute of Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health Sciences University | discovery of the molecular mechanism of retrograde DNA replication | |||
| Europe | fundamental contributions to our understanding of DNA replication | |||||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Eugenia María del Pino Veintimilla | Professor of developmental Biological Sciences at Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador | original investigations on the Biology of marsupial tree frogs and her efforts on behalf of conservation in the Galapagos Islands. | |||
| North America | Joanne Chory[9] | Professor and Director Plant Molecular and Cellular Biological Sciences Laboratory Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator | elucidation of the mechanisms involved in the response of plant organisms to light | |||
| Thressa Campbell Stadtman | ||||||
| 2001 | LS | Africa and the Arab States | Adeyinka Gladys Falusi |  Nigeria | Professor of haematology at Institute for Medical Research & Training of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan | molecular-genetic identification and classification of hereditary blood diseases in Africa |
| Asia and the Pacific | Suzanne Cory |  Australia | Professor at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research | contributions to our understanding of the genetic basis of human lymphoma and other cancerous conditions | ||
| Europe | Anne McLaren |  United Kingdom | discoveries in reproductive Biology, which have paved the way to human assisted reproduction | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Mayana Zatz |  Brazil | Professor of genetics University of São Paulo | contributions to the pathology, diagnosis and management of hereditary | ||
| North America |  United States | Professor of molecular Biological Sciences at Yale University | discoveries of the structure, biological functions and pathological implications of small RNA molecules | |||
| 2002 | LS | Africa and the Arab States | Nagwa Meguid |  Egypt | Researcher at the National Research Centre, Cairo | systematic genetic investigations of Down syndrome and other neurological conditions in the Mediterranean region |
| Asia and the Pacific | Indira Nath |  India | Professor at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi - Former Founder Head of Department of Biotechnology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences | fundamental contributions to the pathogeny, prevention and treatment of leprosy | ||
| Europe |  Germany | International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biological Sciences (IUBMB). Member of University of Göttingen Research Committee | development of immunofluorescence microscopy as a tool for the study of cytoskeletal structures | |||
| Marianne Grunberg-Manago |  France | lifetime achievements and exceptional participation in the development of modern molecular Biology | ||||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Ana María López Colomé |  Mexico | Professor of biochemestry at the Institute of Cellular Physiology, National Autonomous University of Mexico | discoveries of the molecular pathways involved in vision and pathological alterations | ||
| North America | Shirley Tilghman | United States | President, Princeton University | discovery of parental imprinting and its role in embryological development | ||
| 2003 | PMC | Africa and the Arab States | Ayse Erzan |  Turkey | Professor at Istanbul Technical University | theoretical work on the formation of tree-like structures |
| Karimat El-Sayed | Egypt | Professor of Crystallography at Ain Shams University | work on crystal growth, including the formation of kidney stones | |||
| Asia and the Pacific | Li Fanghua |  Hong Kong | discovery of novel techniques in electron microscopy | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Mariana Weissmann |  Argentina | Professor at Argentine National Research Council | theoretical studies on novel forms of carbon | ||
| North America | Johanna M.H. Levelt Sengers |  Netherlands | experiments on critical opalescence in fluids | |||
| 2004 | LS | Africa and the Arab States | Jennifer Thomson |  South Africa | Professor at Department of Molecular and Cell Biological Sciences. University of Cape Town | work on transgenic plants resistant to drought and to viral infections, in an effort to respond to the continent's chronic food shortage |
| Asia and the Pacific | Hong Kong | Professor at Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology Research Institute, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology | discoveries concerning proteins which favour the growth and preservation of neurons in brain development | |||
| Europe | Christine Petit | France | Researcher at Genetics of Sensory Defects Laboratory Institut Pasteur | research on the molecular and cellular bases of human hereditary deafness and other sensorial deficiencies | ||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Lúcia Mendonça Previato | Brazil | studies which enable progress in the understanding, treatment and prevention of the Chagas disease | |||
| North America | Philippa Marrack | United States | Professor at National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, Colorado | the characterization of lymphocyte T functions in the immune system and the discovery of superantigens | ||
| 2005 | PMC | Africa and the Arab States | Zohra ben Lakhdar |  Tunisia | experiments and models in infrared spectroscopy and its applications to pollution detection and medicine | |
| Asia and the Pacific | Fumiko Yonezawa | Professor Emeritus of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Kanagawa-Tokyo | pioneering theory and computer simulations on amorphous semiconductors and liquid metals | |||
| Europe | Dominique Langevin | CNRS Directeur de Recherches Laboratory of Solid State Physics, University of Paris-Sud, Orsay | fundamental investigations on detergents, emulsions and foams | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Belita Koiller | Brazil | Professor of Physics at the Institute of Physics Federal University of Rio de Janeiro | innovative research on electrons in disordered matter such as glass | ||
| North America | Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Physics Department of Physics, City College of New York | important experiments on electrical conduction and transitions between metals and insulators | ||||
| 2006 | LS | Africa and the Arab States | Habiba Bouhamed Chaabouni | Tunisia | Professor of Medical Genetics at University of Tunis | contribution to the analysis and prevention of hereditary disorders |
| Asia and the Pacific | Jennifer Graves | Emeritus Professor in molecular science at Australian National University, Canberra Head, Comparative Genomics Research Group Director, ARC Centre for Kangaroo Genomics | studies on the evolution of mammalian genomes | |||
| Europe | Christine Van Broeckhoven | Research Project Investigator - Laboratory Director - Department director - VIB Department of Molecular Genetics Campus Drie Eiken University of Antwerp - UA Universiteitsplein 1 | genetic investigation of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases | |||
| Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard | Since October 2014 Director Emeritus of Research Group "Colour Pattern Formation" at the Max Planck Institute of Developmental Biological Sciences, Tübingen | efforts in supporting highly qualified women with children to facilitate their progress in science | ||||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Esther Orozco | Mexico | Professor, Patología Experimental Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City | discovery of the mechanisms and control of infections by amoebas in the tropics | ||
| North America | Pamela Bjorkman | Max Delbruck Professor of Biological Sciences and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute California Institute of Technology (CalTech) Pasadena, California | discovery of how the immune system recognizes targets | |||
| 2007 | PMC | Africa and the Arab States | Ameenah Gurib-Fakim |  Mauritius | exploration and analysis of plants from Mauritius and their bio-medical applications | |
| Asia and the Pacific | Margaret Brimble | Chair of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Auckland, Auckland | contribution to the synthesis of complex natural products, especially shellfish toxins. | |||
| Europe | Tatiana Birshtein | contribution to the understanding of the shapes, sizes and motions of large molecules | ||||
| Latin America and the Caribbean |  Peru | Professor, Department of Physical Chemistry Pontifical Catholic University of Chile | contributions to understanding solution properties of polymers | |||
| North America | Mildred Dresselhaus | research on solid state materials, including conceptualizing the creation of carbon nanotubes | ||||
| 2008 | LS | Africa and the Arab States | Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Weizmann Institute of Science | structural studies of the protein biosynthesis system and its disruption by antibiotics | ||
 Iraq | Professor in Clinical Genetics and Paediatrics | contributions to the characterization of inherited disorders | ||||
| Asia and the Pacific | V. Narry Kim | Professor of biochemestry, cell Biological Sciences and Molecular Biological Sciences at Seoul National University | elucidating the formation of a new class of RNA molecules involved in gene regulation | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Ana Belén Elgoyhen | Argentina | Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Buenos Aires and independent researcher of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council | contributions to the understanding of the molecular basis of hearing (sense) | ||
| North America | Elizabeth Blackburn[10] | Researcher at molecular Biological Sciences at the University of California, member of the Institute of Medicine | the discovery of the nature and maintenance of chromosome ends and their roles in cancer and aging | |||
| 2009 | PMC | Africa and the Arab States | Tebello Nyokong | South Africa | Professor of Medical Chemistry and technology at Rhodes University, and a recipient of the Presidency of South Africa's Order of Mapungubwe in Bronze | work on harnessing light for cancer therapy and for environmental clean-up |
| Asia and the Pacific | contribution to the development of molecular conductors and the design and synthesis of a single-component molecular metal | |||||
| Europe | Athene M. Donald | work in unraveling the mysteries of the physics of messy materials, ranging from cement to starch | ||||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Beatriz Barbuy | Brazil | Professor of astrophysics at the Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG) at the University of São Paulo, vice-president of the International Astronomical Union | work on the life of stars from the birth of the Universe to the present time | ||
| North America | Eugenia Kumacheva[11] | Professor of Chemistry at the University of Toronto and a Canada Research Chair in Advanced Functional Materials | the design and development of new materials with many applications including targeted drug delivery for cancer treatments and materials for high density optical data storage | |||
| 2010 | LS | Africa and the Arab States | Rashika El Ridi[12] | Egypt | Professor of Immunology, Department of Zoology Faculty of Science, Cairo University | paving the way towards the development of a vaccine against the tropical disease schistosomiasis |
| Asia and the Pacific | Lourdes J. Cruz | Professor of Immunology, at the University of Philippines Marine Science Institute, Founder of the rural Livehood Incubator in Bataan | the discovery of marine snail toxins that can serve as powerful tools to study brain function | |||
| Europe | Anne Dejean-Assémat | Research Director at INSERM and Professor at the Pasteur Institute, head of the Laboratory of Nuclear Organization and Oncogenesis at the Pasteur Institute and the INSERM Unit 993 Molecular and Cellular Biological Sciences of Tumors | contributions to our understanding of leukaemia and liver cancers | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Alejandra Bravo | Mexico | Researcher at the Institute of Molecular MicroBiological Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) | work on a bacterial toxin that acts as a powerful insecticide | ||
| North America | Elaine Fuchs[13] | Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Rebecca C. Lancefield Professor of Mammalian Cell Biological Sciences and Development at The Rockefeller University | contributions to our knowledge of skin biology and skin stem cells | |||
| 2011 | PMC | Africa and the Arab States | Faiza Al-Harafi |  Kuwait | Professor of chemistry at Kuwait University, member of the Board of Director of Kuwait University | work on corrosion, a problem of fundamental importance to water treatment and the oil industry; notable contributions to electrochemistry with particular emphasis on corrosion and catalysis |
| Asia and the Pacific | Vivian Wing-Wah Yam | Professor in chemistry and Energy at the University of Hong Kong | work on light-emitting materials and innovative ways of capturing solar energy; pioneering contributions in the molecular design of photo-active materials that are particularly relevant to solar energy conversion | |||
| Europe | Professor of atomic physic at Lund University in Sweden | work on the development of the fastest camera for recording the movement of electrons in attoseconds (a billionth of a billionth of a second); pioneering experimental and theoretical contributions to harmonic light generation as a base technology for attosecond science | ||||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Silvia Torres-Peimbert | Mexico | President of the International Astronomical Union and member of the American Astronomical Society and the Academy of Sciences of the Developing World, Mexico | work on the chemical composition of nebulae which is fundamental to our understanding of the origin of the universe; fundamental contribution to the studies of nebulae that have led to a better understanding of the chemical evolution of galaxies and the universe | ||
| North America | Jillian Banfield[14] | Professor at the University of California, Berkeley with appointments in the Earth Science, Ecosystem Science and Materials Science and Engineering departments | work on bacterial and material behavior under extreme conditions relevant to the environment and the Earth; for pioneering achievements in environmental science integrating chemical, biological, mineralogical, and proteogenomic influences | |||
| 2012 | LS | Africa and the Arab States | Jill Farrant | South Africa | Professor of Molecular and Cell Biological Sciences at the University of Cape Town | the elucidation of mechanisms by which plants overcome drought conditions |
| Asia and the Pacific | Ingrid Scheffer | identifying genes involved in some forms of epilepsy | ||||
| Europe | Frances Ashcroft | Royal Society GlaxoSmithKline Research Professor at the University Laboratory of Physiology at the University of Oxford | discovery of an ATP-sensitive potassium channel linking glucose metabolism and insulin secretion and its role in neonatal diabetes | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Susana López Charretón | Mexico | elucidating the mechanisms of rotavirus infections | |||
| North America | Bonnie Bassler[15] | Professor in Molecular Biological Sciences and chair of the Department of Molecular Biological Sciences at Princeton University | discovering the chemical signals and mechanisms bacteria use to communicate and coordinate group behaviors | |||
| 2013 | PMC | Africa and the Arab States | Francisca Nneka Okeke[16] | Nigeria | Professor of Physics at the University of Nigeria | significant contributions to the understanding of daily variations of the ion currents in the upper atmosphere which may further our understanding of climate change |
| Asia and the Pacific | Reiko Kuroda[17] | Foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in its class for chemistry, Professor at the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Tokyo | discovering the functional importance of the difference between left handed and right handed molecules which has wide applications including research on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's | |||
| Europe | Pratibha Gai[18] | ingeniously modifying her electron microscope so that she was able to observe chemical reactions occurring at surface atoms of catalysts which will help scientists in their development of new medicines or new energy sources | ||||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Marcia Barbosa[19] | Brazil | Freelance Biogeography consulting and training at Portugal | discovering one of the peculiarities of water which may lead to better understanding of how earthquakes occur and how proteins fold which is important for the treatment of diseases | ||
| North America | Deborah S. Jin[20] [21] | having been the first to cool down molecules so much that she can observe chemical reactions in slow motion which may help further understanding of molecular processes which are important for medicine or new energy sources | ||||
| 2014 | LS | Africa and the Arab States | Segenet Kelemu |  Ethiopia | Director General of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Director of Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA); Vice President of Programs at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and Leader of Crop | research on how microorganisms living in symbiosis with forage grasses can improve their capacity to resist disease and adapt to environmental and climate change |
| Asia and the Pacific | Kayo Inaba | Director, Kyoto University Gender Equality Promotion Center / Executive Vice-President for Gender Equality, International Affairs, and Public Relations, Kyoto University/ Guest Investigator | critical discoveries concerning the mechanisms triggered by the immune system when it is faced with a threat such as a virus or bacteria or by abnormal cells such as cancer cells | |||
| Europe | Brigitte Kieffer[22] | Professor at Strasbourg University, Director of INSERM at Strasbourg and Institut Douglas at Montreal | decisive work on the brain mechanisms involved in pain, mental illness and drug addiction | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Cecilia Bouzat | Argentina | Principal Investigator of the CONICET and Deputy Director of the Institute of Biochemical Research of White Bay (INIBIBB) | contribution to our understanding of how brain cells communicate among themselves and with muscles | ||
| North America | Laurie Glimcher | President and CEO of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Member of the American Philosophical Society | discovering key factors involved in controlling immune response (T-bet) in allergies and in autoimmune, infectious and malignant diseases | |||
| 2015 | PMC | Africa and the Arab States | Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli |  Morocco | key contribution to one of the greatest discoveries in physics: proof of the existence of the Higgs Boson, the particle responsible for the creation of mass in the universe | |
| Asia and the Pacific | Xie Yi | Chemist, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, professor and doctoral supervisor at University of Science and Technology of China | significant contributions to inorganic solid state solvothermal chemistry at the nanoscale, particularly unconventional semi-conductor materials and graphene-like structures a few atoms thick | |||
| Europe | Carol Robinson | Chemist and President of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Royal Society Researcher Professor at the Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory at the University of Oxford | groundbreaking work in macromolecular mass spectrometry and pioneering gas phase structural biology by probing the structure and reactivity of single proteins and protein complexes, including membrane proteins | |||
| Molly S. Shoichet[23] | Professor, Chemistry and biomedical engineering at Toronto University Head of the research program Shoichetlab specialized to the regenerative medecine | pioneering work on advanced laser photochemistry for creating 3D patterns in hydrogels that enable regeneration of nerve tissue | ||||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Thaisa Storchi Bergmann | Brazil | President of Cross-Division D-J Commission Supermassive Black Holes, Feedback and Galaxy Evolution at UFGRS / Head of Research Group Department of Astronomy - IF-UFRGS | outstanding work on super-massive black holes in the centers of galaxies and their associated regions of dense gas, dust, and young stars surrounding them, as well as their role in the evolution of galaxies | ||
| 2016 | LS | Africa and the Arab States | Quarraisha Abdool Karim[24] | Associate Scientific Director of the AIDS research center, CAPRISA, Professor in Clinical Epidemiology at the Columbia University, honorary professor in Public Health Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal | remarkable contribution to the prevention and treatment of HIV and associated infections, greatly improving the quality of life of women in Africa | |
| Asia and the Pacific | Chen Hualan | Member of the World Organisation for Animal Health Sciences (OIE), member of the Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT), Researcher and PhD Supervisor at Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of Chinese Academy | outstanding research into the biology of the bird flu virus, leading to the development and use of an effective vaccine | |||
| Europe | Emmanuelle Charpentier | Professor and researcher in microbiological Sciences, Genetics and Biochemistry, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biological Sciences, Berlin | game-changing discovery, alongside Professor Jennifer Doudna, of a versatile DNA editing technique to “rewrite” flawed genes in people and other living organisms, opening tremendous new possibilities for treating, even curing, diseases | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Andrea Gamarnik[25] | Argentina | Professor, Molecular Virology Laboratory, Fundación Instituto Leloir, CONICET, Buenos Aires | seminal discoveries on how mosquito-borne viruses reproduce and cause human diseases, particularly Dengue Fever. | ||
| North America | Jennifer Doudna | Li Ka Shing Chancellor Chair Professor, Department of Chemistry and Department of Molecular and Cell Biological Sciences, University of California, Berkeley | game-changing discovery, alongside Professor Emmanuelle Charpentier, of a versatile DNA editing technique to “rewrite” flawed genes in people and other living organisms, opening tremendous new possibilities for treating, even curing, diseases | |||
| 2017 | PMC | Africa and the Arab States | Niveen Khashab |  Lebanon | Associate Professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) | contributions to innovative smart hybrid materials aimed at drug delivery and for developing new techniques to monitor intracellular antioxidant activity |
| Asia and the Pacific | Michelle Simmons | pioneering contributions to quantum and atomic electronics, constructing atomic transistors en route to quantum computers | ||||
| Europe | Nicola Spaldin | Professor and Chair of Materials Theory, ETH Zürich | groundbreaking multidisciplinary work predicting, describing and creating new materials that have switchable magnetic and ferroelectric properties | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | María Teresa Ruiz[26] |  Chile | Professor, Department of Astronomy, Universidad of Chile | discovery of the first brown dwarf and her seminal work on understanding the faintest stars, including stars at the final stages of their evolution (white dwarfs) | ||
| North America | Professor of Chemical Engineering and Material Science and Engineering, Stanford University | outstanding contribution to and mastery of the development of novel functional polymers for consumer electronics, energy storage and biomedical applications | ||||
| 2018 | LS | Africa and the Arab States | Heather Zar | South Africa | Professor and Chair, Department of Paediatrics & Child Health Sciences, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, Director SAMRC Unit, University of Cape Town | establishing a cutting-edge research programme in pneumonia, tuberculosis and asthma, saving the lives of many children worldwide |
| Asia and the Pacific | Meemann Chang | Professor, Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology Member of Chinese Academy of Sciences | pioneering work on fossil records leading to insights on how aquatic vertebrates adapted to life on land | |||
| Europe | Caroline Dean | Professor, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park | groundbreaking research on how plants adapt to their surroundings and climate change, leading to new ways for crop improvement | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Argentina | remarkable contributions to understanding terrestrial ecosystem ecology in natural and human-modified landscapes | ||||
| North America | Janet Rossant | Senior Scientist, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada Professor, University of Toronto, Canada, President, Gairdner Foundation, Director, Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine | outstanding research that helped us to better understand how tissues and organs are formed in the developing embryo | |||
| 2019 | PMC | Africa and the Arab States | Najat A. Saliba | Lebanon | Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Nature Conservation Center at the American University of Beirut | pioneering work in identifying carcinogenic agents and other toxic air pollutants in the Middle East |
| Asia and the Pacific | Maki Kawai | Director General, Institute for Molecular Science, University of Tokyo, Japan, member of the Science Council of Japan, President of the Chemical Society of Japan | ground-breaking work in manipulating molecules at the atomic level, in order to transform materials and create innovative material | |||
| Europe | Claire Voisin | Director at CNRS, Institute of Mathematics of Jussieu - Professor, Chair of Algebraic Geometry at the Collège de France | outstanding work in algebraic geometry | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Karen Hallberg | Argentina | Professor of Physics at the Balseiro Institute and Research Director at the Bariloche Atomic Centre, CNEA/CONICET | developing cutting-edge computational approaches that allow scientists to understand the physics of quantum matter | ||
| North America | Ingrid Daubechies | Professor of Mathematics and Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University | exceptional contribution to the numerical treatment of images and signal processing, providing standard and flexible algorithms for data compression | |||
| 2020 | LS | Africa and the Arab States | Abla Mehio Sibai[27] [28] [29] | Lebanon | Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health Sciences, American University of Beirut | pioneering research and advocacy to improve healthy ageing in low- and middle-income countries and their impact on health and social policy programmes |
| Asia and the Pacific | Firdausi Qadri |  Bangladesh | Senior Director, Infectious Diseases Division, International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease and Research, Dhaka | outstanding work to understand and prevent infectious diseases affecting children in developing countries, and promote early diagnosis and vaccination with global health impact | ||
| Europe | Edith Heard | Director General of the European Molecular Biological Sciences Laboratory, Professor and Chair of Epigenetics and Cellular Memory at the Collège de France | fundamental discoveries concerning the mechanisms governing epigenetic processes, which allow mammals to regulate proper gene expression and are essential for life | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Esperanza Martínez-Romero | Mexico | Professor of Environmental Science, Genomic Science at the Center of the National Autonomous University of Mexico | pioneering work on the use of environmentally friendly bacteria to support plant growth for increased agricultural productivity and reduced use of chemical fertilizers | ||
| North America | Kristi Anseth | United States | Distinguished Professor, Tisone Professor, Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Colorado, Boulder | outstanding contribution in converging engineering and biology to develop innovative biomaterials that help tissue regeneration and drug delivery | ||
| 2021 | PMC | Africa and the Arab States | Catherine Ngila[30] | South Africa | Acting Executive Director of the African Academy of Sciences, Former Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic and Student Affairs (DVC-AA) at Riara University, Kenya, and Visiting Professor of Applied Chemistry at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa: | introducing, developing and applying nanotechnology-based analytical methods to monitor water pollutants. Her innovative work is of vital importance for the development of water resource management in an environmentally sustainable way |
| Asia and the Pacific | Kyoko Nozaki |  Japan | Professor of Chemistry at the University of Tokyo, Japan | pioneering, creative contributions within the field of synthetic chemistry, and their importance to industrial innovation. Her research has led to new, highly effective and environmentally friendly production processes to manufacture molecules useful for medicine and sustainable agriculture | ||
| Europe | Alicia Dickenstein | Professor and Galaxies and Cosmology Chair at the Collège de France in Paris, and Astrophysicist at the Paris Observatory - PSL, France: | outstanding contributions at the forefront of mathematical innovation by leveraging algebraic geometry in the field of molecular biology. Her research enables scientists to understand the structures and behaviour of cells and molecules, even on a microscopic scale. Operating at the frontier between pure and applied mathematics, she has forged important links to physics and chemistry, and enabled biologists to gain an in-depth structural understanding of biochemical reactions and enzymatic networks | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Shafi Goldwasser | Professor of Mathematics at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina | pioneering and fundamental work in computer science and cryptography, essential for secure communication over the internet as well as for shared computation on private data. Her research has a significant impact on our understanding of large classes of problems for which computers cannot efficiently find even approximate solutions | |||
| North America | Françoise Combes | United States | Director of the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing, Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at University of California Berkeley, RSA Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, United States of America and Professor of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at Weizmann Institute, Israel : | outstanding contribution to astrophysics which ranges from the discovery of molecules in interstellar space to supercomputer simulations of galaxy formation. Her work has been crucial to our understanding of the birth and evolution of stars and galaxies, including the role played by supermassive black holes in galactic centers | ||
| 2022 | LS | Africa and the Arab States | Agnès Binagwaho |  Rwanda | Professor of Pediatrics and Vice-Chancellor of Global Health Equity University, Kigali, Rwanda | central role in expanding access to public healthcare for the most vulnerable communities in Rwanda, Africa and beyond, helping reduce the global burden of disease and improving lives.In particular, she focuses on best practices in building resilient health systems and improving the quality, availability, and affordability of healthcare services for people suffering with diseases including HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. This has never been more important than now as overwhelmed healthcare systems across the world struggle to build back stronger in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. |
| Asia and the Pacific | Hailan Hu |  China | Professor and Executive Director of the Neuroscience Center of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China | major discoveries in social and emotional neuroscience. Her ground-breaking work has revolutionized scientific understanding of mental health and, deciphered the mechanism of depression to inform innovative treatment strategies and new medicines. These breakthroughs are vital in the wake of the mental health crisis sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic, with nearly 30% of the global population suffering from depression according to Lancet.She is passionate about raising awareness and illuminating pathways to high impact solutions, particularly given that in many parts of the world, the illness remains largely under diagnosed and still taboo. | ||
| Europe |  Spain | Professor at the Institute of Neuroscience (CSIC-UMH) | fundamental discoveries in embryonic development, which have paved the way for understanding how cancer extends to other organs and forms metastases, the secondary tumours that cause more than 90% of cancer-related deaths.In particular, she explores how cells change identity in the embryo to disseminate and form different tissues. This in turn stands to illuminate how cancer spreads and inform better therapeutic strategies. | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean |  Cuba | Infectious disease and virology, Director of the Research Center of the Pedro Kouri Institute (IPK), Institute of Tropical Medicine | pioneering work to address the devastating human infections caused by the dengue virus, one of the world's most serious diseases in terms of morbidity and mortality, causing 390 million dengue virus infections annually¹.Her research has led to a better understanding of its pathogenesis and risk factors, the origin of several epidemics of dengue haemorrhagic fever, the development of diagnosis and monitoring, and the search for potential new vaccines. It will also strengthen training for medical students and personnel, helping to ensure the next generations are better equipped to fight these viruses. | |||
| North America | Katalin Karikó | United States | Adjunct Professor at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, United States of America, and Senior Vice President at BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals, Philadelphia, United States of America | ground-breaking development of a non-inflammatory mRNA, as a potent vaccine to prevent viral and parasitic infections. Her research has contributed to the development of the COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. She has been conducting years of research which led to a solution for one of the basic problems of RNA, namely the low and short-lived protein production. Professor Karikó discovered that nucleoside-modified mRNA – compared to unmodified and non-optimized mRNA – had a better tolerability and could be administered at higher doses. Her research has paved the way for future therapies in complex diseases such as cancer, heart failure, stroke, anaemia, and autoimmune diseases. | ||
| 2023 | PMC | Africa and the Arab States | [31] | Professor of Chemical and Environmental Science and Engineering, Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia | outstanding work in developing innovative membrane filters to achieve highly efficient chemical separations with a lower carbon footprint. Her research has proven to be particularly beneficial to the water, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries in achieving a more sustainable environment | |
| Asia and the Pacific | Lidia Morawska | Distinguished Professor, School of Earth Sciences and Climate, Queensland University of Technology, Australia and Director of the International Laboratory for air quality and health | excellent research in the field of air pollution and its impact on human health and the environment, with a specific focus on atmospheric particulate matter. Her extraordinary dedication and impact have built a bridge from fundamental science to real-world policy and practice to provide clean air for all | |||
| Europe | Frances Kirwan | Savilian Professor of Geometry, University of Oxford | exceptional work in pure mathematics combining geometry and algebra in order to develop techniques to understand the classification of geometric objects. These techniques have been used by theoretical physicists searching for mathematical descriptions of our universe. Her recent work has the potential to help scientists to extract crucial information from large complex data sets | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Anamaría Font | Professor of Physics, Central University of Venezuela | important contributions in theoretical particle physics, in particular to the study of String Theory. Her research has furthered the theory's implications for the structure of matter and quantum gravity, which is also relevant to the description of black holes and the first instants after the big bang | |||
| North America | Aviv Regev | Executive Vice President and Global Head of Genentech Research and Early Development, Genentech/Roche, San Francisco | pioneering work applying mathematics and computer science to revolutionize cell biology. Her research enables scientists to discover and characterize the trillions of cells within the body and enhances scientists’ ability to decipher and target the mechanisms that cause disease, in order to develop better diagnostics and therapies | |||
| 2024 | LES | Africa and the Arab States | Rose Leke[32] | Former Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Former Director of the Biotechnology Centre, University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon | dedicated leadership, outstanding research and pioneering efforts to improve outcomes in pregnancy-associated malaria, support the eradication of polio and improve immunization in Africa, as well as for her efforts to improve the career path of young scientists. Dr Leke’s national, regional, and global influence has had a profound impact on public health in her native Cameroon and across Africa. Her achievements position her as a role model, leading educator and advocate for young female scientists. | |
| Asia and the Pacific | Nieng Yan | University Professor, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University; Founding President of Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation; Director of Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, China | for discovering the atomic structure of multiple membrane proteins that mediate the traffic of ions and sugars across the cell membrane, revealing principles that govern cross-membrane transport. Her exceptional research has informed multiple disorders such as epilepsy and arrhythmia and guided the treatment of pain syndrome. As a leading authority in her field, Dr Yan inspires female scientists globally and is a strong advocate for gender equality in research and science education. | |||
| Europe | Geneviève Almouzni | Director of Research from The National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) at the Curie Institute, France | seminal contributions to understanding how DNA is packaged with proteins inside the cell nucleus. Her pioneering work in epigenetics has furthered our understanding of how cell identity is determined during normal development and disrupted by cancer. Her extraordinary successes in advancing research, training the next generation of scientists and promoting women in science are inspirational | |||
| Latin America and the Caribbean | Professor of Biochemistry, University of São Paulo, Brazil | fundamental contribution to the biology of mitochondria, which are "the cell’s main energy source, acting as their batteries". Her work has been critical for our understanding of the implication of energy metabolism in chronic diseases, including obesity and diabetes, as well as in ageing. Her outstanding contribution as an investigator and mentor, as well as her advocacy for science in Latin America and its dissemination to the public, are an inspiration for young scientists. | ||||
| North America | Nada Jabado | Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Human Genetics, Canada Research Chair Tier 1 in Pediatric Oncology, McGill University, Canada | revolutionizing our comprehension of the genetic defects responsible for aggressive pediatric brain tumours. Her seminal discovery of the first-ever histone mutations in human disease, referred to as oncohistones, has sparked a fundamental change in the cancer research sphere. Through her innovative research and effective leadership in establishing a global collaborative network, she has reshaped the medical approach to pediatric cancer, advancing both diagnostic capabilities and clinical treatments for young patients |
Source:[33]
On the 25th anniversary of the award (2023), a special tribute was given to three researchers in exile, who were or had been forced to interrupt their scientific career in their home country and have pursued their career abroad. A financial reward and a medal of honor was awarded to Mursal Dawodi (artificial intelligence) from Afghanistan, Ann Al Sawoor (mathematics) from Iraq, and Marycelin Baba (molecular biology) from Nigeria.[34]
From 2000 to 2014, fellowships were awarded yearly to doctoral and post-doctoral women to allow them to pursue their research in host laboratories outside their home countries.
Established in 2015, the International Rising Talent Grants are awarded annually to 15 PhD students and post-doctoral Fellows. They replace the former International Fellowships.
Established in 2015, the International Rising Talent Grants are awarded annually to 15 PhD students and post-doctoral Fellows. Fellows are chosen from among the winners of the 236 fellowships awarded locally by L’Oréal subsidiaries and UNESCO around the world, to give additional support at the international level to promising young women researchers.[50] They replace the former International Fellowships. The 2015 International Rising Talents are:
The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme established the International Rising Talent Grants, awarded annually to 15 PhD students and post-doctoral Fellows who are chosen among the former winners of the 236 fellowships awarded locally by L’Oréal subsidiaries and UNESCO around the world. The goal is to support promising women researchers and give them more visibility so that, through the awards, these young scientists can achieve the increased recognition that their talent deserve, but dod not always receive, both within their country and by their peers. International Rising Talents are chosen from countries in each world region, Africa & Arab States, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. The 2016 L'Oréal-UNESCO International Rising Talents are:[51] [52]
In 2014, the L’Oréal-UNESCO programme has established the International Rising Talent Grants, awarded annually to 15 PhD students and post-doctoral Fellows.These young researchers are chosen among the former winners of the 250 fellowships awarded locally by L’Oréal subsidiaries and UNESCO Field Offices around the world. By recognizing their achievements at a key moment in their careers, the For Women in Science programme aims to help them pursue their research.[53] [54]
Each year, the International Rising Talents programme selects the 15 most promising women scientists among the 275 national and regional fellows of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science programme. These young women are the very future of science and recognizing their excellence will help ensure that they reach their full potential.[55]
Among the 275 national and regional fellowship winners supported each year, the For Women in Science programme selects the 15 most promising researchers for this international recognition.
Among the national and regional fellowship winners supported each year, the For Women in Science programme selects the 15 most promising researchers for this international recognition.
"Women in Science" has national and regional awards.[56]