L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards

L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards
L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Programme
Presented by	UNESCO
Website	https://www.forwomeninscience.com/

The winners of the 2010 UNESCO-L'Oréal Prize for Women in Science Awards Ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris – From left to right; Elaine Fuchs (United States of America), Anne Dejean-Assémat (France), Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, Chairman of L'Oréal, Alejandra Bravo (Mexico), Lourdes J. Cruz (Philippines), Rashika El Ridi (Egypt), Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, and Günter Blobel, Nobel Prize in Medicine 1999.

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.

Each year an international jury awards five laureates, selecting one from each of the following regions:

• Africa and the Arab States.
• Asia and the Pacific
• Europe
• Latin America and the Caribbean
• North America (since 2000)

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. The Fellowship awards began in 2000 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. In 2015, the name Rising Talent Grants was implemented.

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).

Recipients

Quarraisha Abdool Karim was the 2016 Laureate for Africa and the Arab States

Legend:

  Life sciences (LS), Life and Environmental Sciences (LES)

  Physical sciences, mathematics and computer science (PMC)

Year		Laureate for	Name	Nationality	Credentials	Recognized for (her)
1998	LS	Africa and the Arab States	Grace Oladunni Taylor	Nigeria	Biochemist, scholar, university professor.	contributions to epidemiology cardio vascular disease in Africa
		Asia and the Pacific	Myeong-Hee Yu	South Korea	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	France	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	Chile	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	Valerie Mizrahi	South Africa	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	Japan	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	Margarita Salas	Spain		fundamental contributions to our understanding of DNA replication
		Latin America and the Caribbean	Eugenia María del Pino Veintimilla	Ecuador	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	United States	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	Joan Steitz	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	Mary Osborn	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	Nancy Ip	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	Professor and Researcher of Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro	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	Professor of Physics Laboratory of Atomic-Molecular Spectroscopy and Applications, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tunis El Manar	experiments and models in infrared spectroscopy and its applications to pollution detection and medicine
		Asia and the Pacific	Fumiko Yonezawa	Japan	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	France	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	Myriam P. Sarachik	United States	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	Australia	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	Belgium	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	Germany	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	United States	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	New Zealand	Chair of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Auckland, Auckland	contribution to the synthesis of complex natural products, especially shellfish toxins.
		Europe	Tatiana Birshtein	Russia		contribution to the understanding of the shapes, sizes and motions of large molecules
		Latin America and the Caribbean	Ligia Gargallo	Peru	Professor, Department of Physical Chemistry Pontifical Catholic University of Chile	contributions to understanding solution properties of polymers
		North America	Mildred Dresselhaus	United States		research on solid state materials, including conceptualizing the creation of carbon nanotubes
2008	LS	Africa and the Arab States	Ada Yonath	Israel	Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Weizmann Institute of Science	structural studies of the protein biosynthesis system and its disruption by antibiotics
			Lihadh Al-Gazali	Iraq	Professor in Clinical Genetics and Paediatrics	contributions to the characterization of inherited disorders
		Asia and the Pacific	V. Narry Kim	South Korea	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	Australia	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	Akiko Kobayashi	Japan	Professor of chemistry emeritus at the University of Tokyo and Nihon University	contribution to the development of molecular conductors and the design and synthesis of a single-component molecular metal
		Europe	Athene M. Donald	United Kingdom	Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Cambridge and Master of Churchill College, Cambridge	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	Canada	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	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	Philippines	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	France	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	United States	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	Hong Kong	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	Anne L'Huillier	France	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	Australia	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	Australia	Paediatric neurologist and senior research fellow at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health Sciences	identifying genes involved in some forms of epilepsy
		Europe	Frances Ashcroft	United Kingdom	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	Professor of virology at the Institute of Biotechnology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico	elucidating the mechanisms of rotavirus infections
		North America	Bonnie Bassler	United States	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	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	Japan	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	United Kingdom	Microscopist and Professor and Chair of Electron Microscopy and former Director at The York JEOL Nanocentre, Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of York	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	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	United States		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	Japan	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	France	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	United States	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	Professor of nuclear physics at Mohammed V's Rabat University	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	China	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	United Kingdom	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	Canada	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	South Africa	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	China	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	France	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	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	United States	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	AustraliaUnited Kingdom	Professor and Director of the Center of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, University of New South Wales	pioneering contributions to quantum and atomic electronics, constructing atomic transistors en route to quantum computers
		Europe	Nicola Spaldin	United Kingdom	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	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	Zhenan Bao	China	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	China	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	United Kingdom	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	Amy T. Austin	Argentina	Professor, IFEVA-CONICET, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Buenos Aires	remarkable contributions to understanding terrestrial ecosystem ecology in natural and human-modified landscapes
		North America	Janet Rossant	United Kingdom	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	Japan	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	France	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	Belgium	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	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	United Kingdom	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	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	Argentina	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	Israel United States	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	Ángela Nieto	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	María Guzmán	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	HungaryUnited 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	Suzana Nunes	Brazil	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	AustraliaPoland	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	United Kingdom	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	Venezuela	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	Israel	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	Cameroon	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	China	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	France	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	Alicia Kowaltowski	Brazil	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	Canada Lebanon France	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:

Special tributes

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.

Fellows - International rising talents

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.

2000 Fellows

• Yézoumi Akogo, Togo
• Dorsaf Essebaï, Tunisia
• María del Pilar Jiménez Alzate, Colombia
• Rhoda Kariba, Kenya
• Margarita Marqués Martínez, Spain
• Sonia Nasr, Lebanon
• June Young Park, Republic of Korea
• Marcia Roye, Jamaica
• Tatyana Savchenko, Azerbaijan
• Yufeng Wang, China

2001 Fellows

• Rebecca Salu Livingstone, Nigeria Zoology
• Reine Raïssa Note, Congo Pharmacology
• Analilia Arroyo Becerra, Mexico Plant biology
• Jacqueline Chaparro Olaya, Colombia Parasitology
• Suraini Abd-Aziz, Malaysia Biochemistry
• Allison Joy Haywood, New Zealand Planktonology
• Amaal Mohamadein Ahamad, Egypt Ecotoxicology
• Chantal Farra, Lebanon Human genetics
• Miroslava Atanassova, Bulgaria Microbiology
• Jarmila Nahalkova, Slovakia Plant biology

2002 Fellows

• Namrita Lall, South Africa Bacteriology
• Djeneba Konate Keita, Mali Environment
• Giovanna Elizabeth Sotil Caycho, Peru Biodiversity
• Rahanna Alicia Juman, Trinidad And Tobago Environment
• Hasina Akhter, Bangladesh Biotechnology
• Jennifer Louise Smith, New Zealand Enzymology
• Salma Bisbis, Morocco Nutrition
• Mounira Hmani Aifa, Tunisia Genetics
• Anila Paparisto, Albania Molecular Biology
• Andrea Hickel, Austria Biophysics

2003 Fellows

• Sodangi Abdulkarim Luka Gesinde (Nigeria) Parasitology
• Darie Alikaj (Syria) Virology
• Rocío Díaz-Benjumea Benavides (Venezuela) Parasitology/Cell Biology
• Shiva Seyed Forootan (Iran) Molecular Biology
• Dionicia Gamboa Vilela (Peru) Molecular Biology
• Karin Jacobs (South Africa) Mycology
• Adriana Jalba (Romania) Plant Biology
• Mary George Kaileh (Palestinian Authority) Molecular Biology
• María Gabriela Palomo (Argentina) Marine Ecology
• Samia Rejiba (Tunisia) Molecular Biology
• Ahou Edwige Siransy (Côte d'Ivoire) Physiology
• Devi Stuart-Fox (Australia) Ecology/Evolutionary Biology
• Ahu Altinkut Uncuoglu (Turkey) Molecular Biology
• Victoria Yavelsky (Israel) Molecular Biology/Immunology

2004 Fellows

• María Teresa Abreu (Venezuela) Cellular Biology
• Salwa Hamid Al Khayat (Yemen) Microbiology
• Mouna Al-Sabbagh (Syria) Biotechnology
• Maryam Aminu (Nigeria) Virology
• Ines Atmosukarto (Indonesia) Microbiology
• Semra Aygün (Turkey) Molecular Biology
• Silvia Bilokapic (Croatia) Molecular Biology
• Elena Luminita Bradatan (Romania) Medicine/Oncology
• María Laura Guichón (Argentina) Ecology
• Bibi Rehana Jauhangeer (Mauritius) Molecular Microbiology
• Blandina Lugendo (Tanzania) Marine Biology
• Ghinwa Naja (Lebanon) Physical Chemistry
• Rosa Estela Navarro (Mexico) Developmental Biology
• Farzana Shaheen (Pakistan) Chemistry
• Diana Webster (New Zealand) Medical Science

2005 Fellows

• Aisha Abubakar Abdulwahab (Nigeria) – Prevalence of tuberculosis in humans and animals in Nigeria
• Mariam Allach (Morocco): Rehabilitation, protection and sustainability of the argan tree
• Cho N’Din Catherine Boni-Cisse (Côte d'Ivoire) – Characterization of haemophilus influenzae of isolated strains of meningitis
• Marlein Miranda Cona (Cuba): Development of radiopharmaceuticals to detect and treat malignant tumors
• Michelle Lucinda de Oliveira (Brazil): Liver cancers: link between liver resection and metastasis development
• Habiba Drici (Algeria): Molecular Biology: lactic bacteria used in the production of fermented foods
• Özlem Zehra Keskin (Turkey): Structural biochemistry of proteins
• Fati Kirakoya (Burkina Faso) – Biostatistics: association between sexually transmissible disease and HIV infection in Ouagadougou
• Ketsiri Kueseng (Thailand): Polymer Science: water and oil repellency of Thai silk
• María Valeria Lara (Argentina): Genetic Engineering: tobacco and other drought-resistant plants
• Yong Sun Kye (North Korea): Genetic Engineering: insect-resistant soybean plants
• Katharine Arwen Michie (Australia): Biochemistry: SMC protein complex and interaction with DNA
• Agnieszka Elzbieta Sadowska (Poland): Neurobiology: polarization of developing neurons
• Reema Fayez Tayyem (Jordan): Epidemiology of colon cancer: inhibitory effect of curcuma
• Paola Tiberia Zanna (Italy): Melanogenesis: Expression of the MC1R gene

2006 Fellows

• Zeina Daher (Lebanon) Biochemistry: Study Of Mitochondrial DNA Mutations
• Juana del Valle Mendoza (Peru) Immunology: Development Of A Therapeutic Vaccine Against Hiv-1, The Virus Responsible For Aids
• Dilfuza Egamberdiyeva (Uzbekistan) Environmental Microbiology: Development Of Environmentally Friendly, Bacteria-Based fertilizer
• Ghada Ahmed Mohamed Abu El-Heba (Egypt) Molecular Biology: Improvement Of Nitrogen-Fixation In Leguminosae
• Sabah Ben Fredj (Tunisia) Microbiology: Study Of The Genetic Variability Of Fungi Found On Grapes In Tunisian Vineyards
• Valérie Gbonon (Côte d'Ivoire) Microbiology: Study Of The Virulence Factors Of Group B Streptococcus Bacteria Infections To Improve Antibiotic Treatment For Pregnant Women And Newborns
• Stéphanie Jenouvrier (France) Ecology: The Impact Of Global Warming On The Population Dynamics Of Emperor Penguins
• Anita Krisko (Croatia) Structural Biology: Computer Modeling To Investigate How Degradation Of Proteins In The Eye Lens Can Lead To Blindness
• Priyadharshini Madhou (Mauritius) Plant Biotechnology: Study Of Genes Controlling Plant Resistance To Fungus Infection
• Irene Maier (Austria) Biomedicine: Development Of An Immunological Biochip To Facilitate Clinical Diagnosis Of Food Allergies
• Andréa Mantesso, (Brazil) Health Sciences: Study Of Dental Stem Cells To Provide Innovative Solutions For Cavities And Craniofacial Deformities
• Prudence Mutowo (Zimbabwe) Molecular Biology: Study Of Gene Regulation In Archaea
• Mun Peak Nyon (Malaysia) Structural Biology: Determining The Three-Dimensional Structure Of Cutinase
• Diana Pérez Staples (Mexico) Behavioral Ecology: Study Of Biological Pest Control To Reduce The Use Of Environmentally Dangerous Insecticides
• Ruchi Singh (India) Parasitology: Identification Of Genes Involved In Drug-Resistance Of Leishmaniasis

2007 Fellows

• Fatima Musbah Abbas (Sudan) Plant Molecular Biology
• Mestawet Taye Asfaw (Ethiopia) Food Science
• Rhimou Bouhlal (Morocco) Marine Biology
• Venetia Briggs (Belize) Behavioral Ecology
• Nancy Chandia (Chile) Organic Chemistry
• Irene Chiolo (Italy) Molecular Biology
• Gisella Cruz Garcia (Netherlands Conservation Biology/Ecology
• Khady Nani Dramé (Senegal) Plant Biotechnology
• Fenny Dwivany (Indonesia) Molecular Biology
• Laura Echarte (Argentina) Crop Physiology
• Petra Klepac (Croatia) Epidemiology
• Sarrah Ben M'barek (Tunisia) Plant Biotechnology
• Christine Ouinsavi (Benin) Forest Biology
• Barno Sultanova (Uzbekistan) Biotechnology
• Chawanee Thongpanchang (Thailand) Medicinal Chemistry

2008 Fellows:

• Hakima Amjres, Morocco
• Naranjargal Dashdorj, Mongolia
• Magda Bou Dagher Kharrat, Lebanon
• Made Tri Ari Penia Kresnowati, Indonesia
• Federica Migliardo, Italy
• Yonelle Dea Moukoumbi, Gabon
• Susanna Phoboo, Nepal
• Maria João Rego Rodrigues, Mozambique
• Lina María Saavedra Díaz, Colombia
• Hanneline Adri Smit, South Africa
• Alma Tostmann, the Netherlands
• Carolina Trochine, Argentina
• Andrea Von Groll, Brazil
• Maja Zagmajster, Slovenia
• Jamillah Zamoon, Kuwait

2009 Fellows

• Marie Abboud (Lebanon) Non-invasive optical methods for the study of biological structures
• Rima Al-Besharat (Syria) local probiotic bacteria for use in functional food products
• Ishrat Bano (Pakistan) Development of magnetic nanoparticles for use in drug delivery
• Yean Yean Chan (Malaysia) Electrochemical DNA biosensors for molecular diagnosis of infectious disease
• Nonhlanhla Dlamani (South Africa) African traditional medicine used in the treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma
• Berta González Frankenberger (Mexico) speech and voice processing in neonates and premature babies
• Cecilia Gonzales-Marin (Peru) oral infections and medical complications in pregnant women
• Fina Kurreeman (Mauritius) Study of genes specifically associated with rheumatoid arthritis
• Khadijetou Lekweiry (Mauritania) Transmission of malaria in the Nouakchott
• Lydia Lynch (Ireland) human omentum as an immunological tool
• Joan Munissi (Tanzania) Antimicrobial compounds isolated from cultures of Tanzanian marine-derived fungi
• Ivana Pešić (Serbia) identification of urine proteins, renal disease
• Mareike Posner (Germany) resistance of enzyme structures within organisms adapted to extreme conditions
• Jingyi Shi (China) Genetics of acute myeloid leukemia
• Paula Villar (Argentina) computer-based model of the heart in 3D

2010 Fellows

• Diana Marcela Bolaños Rodríguez (Colombia)
• Nawal Bouayayne (Morocco)
• Ghalia Boubaker (Tunisia)
• Hadeer El-Dakhakni (Egypt)
• María Gabriel Gei (Costa Rica)
• María-Teresa Guardiola-Claramonte (Spain)
• Antima Gupta (India)
• Elisabeth Lendoye (Gabon)
• Irene Margiolaki (Greece)
• Margoth Mitchela Moreno Vigo (Peru)
• Marietta Solange Soupi Nkeutcha (Cameroon)
• Djoudi Roukia (Comoros)
• Yifen Tan (Malaysia)
• Marissa Teo (Singapore)
• Svitlana Yablonska (Ukraine)

2011 Fellows

• Mais Absi (Syria) molecular endocrinology
• Reyam Al-Malikey (Iraq) ecology
• Andia Chaves Fonnegra (Colombia) marine ecology
• Isabel Cristina Chinchilla Soto (Costa Rica) ecology
• Samia Elfékih (Tunisia) molecular biology
• Hagar Gelbard-Sagiv (Israel) neurobiology
• Alejandra Jaramillo Gutiérrez (Panama) parasitology
• Tatiana Lopatina (Russia) cell biology
• Nilufar Mamadalieva (Uzbekistan) plant biochemistry and pharmacology
• Germaine L. Minoungou (Burkina Faso) virology
• Justine Germo Nzweundji (Cameroon) plant biotechnology
• Jiban Jyoti Panda (India) biotechnology
• Ladan Teimoori Toolabi (Iran) medical biotechnology
• Triin Vahisalu (Estonia) plant molecular biology
• Fadzai Zengeya (Zimbabwe) agricultural sciences

2012 Fellows

• Kathrin Barboza Márquez (Bolivia) Behavioural Ecology
• Dana Bazzoun (Lebanon) Cell and Molecular Biology
• Giomar Helena Borrero-Pérez (Colombia) Marine Biology
• Naama Geva-Zatorsky (Israel) Molecular and Systems Biology
• Emna Harigua (Tunisia) Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics
• Zoë Hilton (New Zealand) Marine Biology
• Gladys Kahaka (Namibia) Biotechnology/Biochemistry
• Aziza Hassan Kamel (Egypt) Virology
• Vita Majce (Slovenia) Molecular Biology and Chemistry
• Dora Medina (Mexico) Bioengineering
• Peggoty Mutai (Kenya) Medicinal Chemistry
• Sidrotun Naim (Indonesia) Molecular Virology
• Patricia Miang Lon Ng (Singapore) Protein Engineering
• Johannie Maria Spaan (South Africa) Wildlife Biology
• Elza Van Deel (The Netherlands) Cardiology and Molecular Genetics

2013 Fellows

• Naima Abattouy, Morocco Biology
• Beatriz Álvarez Sanna, Uruguay Biochemistry
• Ariana Barbera, Cuba Immunology
• Enkhmaa Davaasambuu, Mongolia Maternal Health
• Laure El-Chamy, Lebanon Molecular Biology
• Marina Faiella, Italy Biochemistry and Biotechnology
• Sri Fatmawati, Indonesia Natural Products Chemistry
• Lina Gallego, Colombia Cancer Genomics
• Florencia Linero, Argentina Virology
• Allison Louthan, United States of America Ecology
• Kanika Mitra, Bangladesh Food science
• Marie Florence Ngo Ngwe, Cameroon Plant Biotechnology
• Sahwa Adil Nourein, Sudan Clinical immunology
• Eucharia Oluchi Nwaichi, Nigeria Environment and Toxicology
• Osnat Penn, Israel Computational Biology
• Anita Takura, Ghana Agricultural and Environmental Science

2014 Fellows

• Francisca Barake, Chile Cellular and Molecular Biology
• Katalin Czondor, Hungary Neurobiology
• Adila Elobeid, Sudan Medicine
• Selena Giménez Ibánez, Spain Plant Molecular Genetics
• Emma Gray, South Africa Ecology
• Jingmei Li, Singapore Human Genetics
• Sandra López-Verges, Panama Virology
• Farah Ouechtati, Tunisia Neuroscience
• Mio Ozawa, Japan Nutritional Epidemiology
• Tania Pozzo, Bolivia Biotechnology
• Bhama Ramkhelawon, Mauritius Obesity and diabetes
• Gul Shahnaz, Pakistan Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Science
• Alia Shatanawi, Jordan Cardiovascular Pharmacology
• Aramide Dolapo O Shingboye, Nigeria Food science
• Ahu Arslan Yildiz, Turkey Biotechnology

2015 International Rising Talents

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. They replace the former International Fellowships. The 2015 International Rising Talents are:

• Nourtan Abdeltawab, Egypt Immunogenetics of Infectious Diseases
• Carolina Andrade, Brazil Medicinal Chemistry
• Aurore Avarguès-Weber, France Cognitive Neurosciences
• Yoke-Fun Chan/Chan Yoke-Fun, (Chan is the surname) Malaysia Molecular virology
• Vanessa D’Costa, Canada Immunogenetics of Infectious Diseases
• Kathryn Holt, Australia Pathogen Genomic Epidemiology
• Matilde Jiménez Coello, Mexico Infectious Diseases
• Adriana Marais, South Africa Physics, Quantum Biology
• Signe Normand, Denmark Plant Ecology, Macroecology, Biogeography
• Eva M. Pellicer, Spain Materials Science, Nanotechnology
• Trần Hà Liên Phương, Vietnam Pharmaceutical sciences
• Bhama Ramkhelawon, United States Medicine (diabetes and obesity)
• Sanaa Sharafeddine, Lebanon Computer and Communications Engineering
• Mary Stoddard, United States Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Ornithology
• Ariela Vergara Jaque, Chile Computational Structural Biology

2016 International Rising Talents

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:

Technology and engineering: innovations that could change the face of medicine

• Dr. Eszter Farkas (Hungary) Biological Sciences
• Prof. Jasmeen Merzaban (Saudi Arabia) Biological Sciences
• Dr. Yilun Ying (China) Chemistry
• Dr. Elisa Orth (Brazil) Chemistry

Physical sciences: a profound impact on our world

• Dr. Dorthe Ravnsbæk (Denmark) Chemistry
• Dr. Sabrina Stierwalt (United States) Astronomical and space sciences

The study of galaxy mergers with implications for a new understanding of how galaxies evolve

• Dr. María del Rocío Vega Frutis (Mexico) Biological sciences

Life and environmental sciences: critical issues for the future of our planet

• Dr. Ira Didenkulova (Russia) Physics
• Dr. Anaïs Orsi (France) Earth sciences
• Dr. Habiba Alsafar (United Arab Emirates) Medical engineering

Solutions in health sciences through modern medicine

• Dr. María J. Buzón (Spain) Biological sciences
• Dr. Hiba El Hajj (Lebanon) Clinical medicine
• Dr. Risa Mukai (Japan) Biological sciences
• Dr. Bernadeta Szewczyk (Poland) Biological sciences
• Dr. Elena J. Tucker (Australia) Biological sciences

2017 International Rising Talents

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.

Watching the brain at work

• Doctor Lorina Naci, Canada, Fundamental medicine. In a coma: is the patient conscious or unconscious?
• Associate Professor Muireann Irish, Australia, Clinical medicine. Recognizing Alzheimer’s before the first signs appear.

On the road to conceiving new medical treatments

• Doctor Hyun Lee, Germany, Biological Sciences. Neurodegenerative diseases: untangling aggregated proteins.
• Doctor Nam-Kyung Yu, Republic of Korea, Biological Sciences, Rett syndrome: neuronal cells come under fire
• Doctor Stephanie Fanucchi, South Africa, Biological Sciences. Better understanding the immune system.
• Doctor Julia Etulain, Argentina, Biological Sciences. Better tissue healing.

Finding potential new sources of drugs

• Doctor Rym Ben Sallem, Tunisia, Biological Sciences. New antibiotics are right under our feet.
• Doctor Hab Joanna Sulkowska, Poland, Biological Sciences. Unraveling the secrets of entangled proteins.

Getting to the heart of matter

• Ms Nazek El-Atab, United Arab Emirates, Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering. Miniaturizing electronics without losing memory.
• Doctor Bilge Demirköz, Turkey, Physics. Piercing the secrets of cosmic radiation.
• Doctor Tamara Elzein, Lebanon, Material Sciences. Trapping radioactivity.
• Doctor Ran Long, China, Chemistry. Unlocking the potential of energy resources with nanochemistry.

Examining the past to shed light on the future – or vice versa

• Doctor Fernanda Werneck, Brazil, Biological Sciences. Predicting how animal biodiversity will evolve.
• Doctor Sam Giles, United Kingdom, Biological Sciences. Taking another look at the evolution of vertebrates thanks to their braincases.
• Doctor Ágnes Kóspál, Hungary, Astronomy and Space Sciences. Looking at the birth of distant suns and planets to better understand the solar system.

2018 International Rising Talents

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.

• Dr. Areej Abuhammad (Jordan) Fundamental medicine
• Danielle Twilley (South Africa) Biological Sciences, medicinal plant sciences
• Dr. Hanifa Taher Al Blooshi (United Arab Emirates) Chemical Engineering
• Dr. Ibtissem Guefrachi (Tunisia) Microbiology
• Dr. Weang Kee Ho (Malaysia) Heath sciences, epidemiological statistics
• Dr. Hiep Thi Nguyen (Vietnam) Medical engineering
• Dr. Yukiko Ogawa (Japan) Material engineering
• Dr. Radha Boya (United Kingdom) Physics
• Dr. Agnieszka Gajewicz (Poland) Chemistry
• Dr. Anna Kudryavtseva (Russia) Biological sciences
• Associate Prof. Duygu Sag (Turkey) Biological sciences, immunology
• Dr. Ai Ing Lim (United States of America) Fundamental medicine
• Dr. Selene Lizbeth Fernández Valverde (Mexico) Biological sciences and genomics
• Dr. Rafaela Salgado Ferreira (Brazil) Chemistry
• Dr. Anela Choy (United States of America) Biological sciences, oceanography
• Dr.Priscilla Kolibea Mante (Ghana) Neurosciences

2019 International Rising Talents

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.

Africa and the Arab States

• Dr. Saba Al Heialy – Health sciences (L'Oréal-UNESCO regional fellowship Dubai), Mohammed Bin Rashid University for Medicine and Health Sciences
• Dr. Zohra Dhouafli – Neuroscience/ Biochemistry (L'Oréal-UNESCO regional fellowship Tunisia), Center of Biotechnology of Borj-Cédria
• Dr. Menattallah Elserafy – Molecular biology/Genetics (L'Oréal-UNESCO regional fellowship Egypt), Zewail City of Science and Technology
• Dr. Priscilla Kolibea Mante – Neurosciences (L'Oréal-UNESCO regional fellowship Ghana), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

North America

• Dr. Jacquelyn Cragg – Health sciences (L'Oréal-UNESCO regional fellowship Canada), University of British Columbia

Latin America

• Dr. Maria Molina – Chemistry/Molecular biology (L'Oréal-UNESCO regional fellowship Argentina), National University of Rio Cuarto
• Dr. Ana Sofía Varela – Chemistry/Electrocatalysis (L'Oréal-UNESCO regional fellowship Mexico), Institute of Chemistry, National Autonomous University of Mexico

Asia-Pacific

• Dr. Sherry Aw – Neuroscience (L'Oréal-UNESCO regional fellowship Singapore), Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology
• Dr. Mika Nomoto – Molecular biology / Plant pathology (L'Oréal-UNESCO regional fellowship Japan), University of Nagoya
• Dr. Mary Jacquiline Romero – Quantum physics (L'Oréal-UNESCO regional fellowship Australia), University of Queensland

Europe

• Dr. Laura Elo – Bioinformatics (L'Oréal-UNESCO regional fellowship Finland), University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University
• Dr. Kirsten Marie Ørnsbjerg Jensen – Material chemistry, structural analysis (L'Oréal-UNESCO regional fellowship Denmark), University of Copenhagen
• Dr. Biola María Javierre Martínez – Genomics (L'Oréal-UNESCO regional fellowship Spain), Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute
• Dr. Urte Neniskyte – Neuroscience (L'Oréal-UNESCO regional fellowship Lithuania), University of Vilnius
• Dr. Nurcan Tuncbag – Bioinformatics (L'Oréal-UNESCO regional fellowship Turkey), Middle East Technical University

2020 International Rising Talents

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.

Africa and the Arab States

• Dr Laura-Joy Boulos – Neuroscience. Levant, Saint-Joseph University, Lebanon
• Dr Nowsheen Goonoo – Biomedicine. Sub-Saharan Africa, University of Mauritius
• Dr Nouf Mahmoud – Health Sciences. Levant, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan
• Georgina Nyawo – Molecular Biology, Medical Microbiology. Sub-Saharan Africa, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

North America

• Dr Elizabeth Trembath-Reichert – Earth Science /Environmental Science. United States of America, Arizona State University

Latin America

• Dr Paula Giraldo Gallo – Physics. Colombia, University of the Andes
• Dr Patrícia Medeiros – Biological sciences. Brazil, Federal University of Alagoas

Asia-Pacific

• Dr Rui Bai – Biological sciences. China, Westlake University
• Dr Huanqian Loh – Physics. Singapore, National University of Singapore
• Dr Mikyung Shin – Biomaterials. Republic of Korea, Sungkyunkwan University

Europe

• Dr Vida Engmann – Material Engineering. Denmark, University of Southern Denmark
• Dr Serap Erkek – Molecular biology / Epigenetics. Turkey, Cancer Epigenomics Laboratory, Biomedicine and Genome Center
• Dr Jennifer Garden – Chemistry. United Kingdom, University of Edinburgh
• Dr Cristina Romera Castillo – Marine sciences. Spain, Institute of Sea Sciences
• Dr Olena Vaneeva – Mathematics. Ukraine, Institute of Mathematics of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine

2022 International Rising Talents

Africa and the Arabs states

• Dr. Lina Dahabiyeh, Basic medicine, The University of Jordan, Jordan
• Dr. Ndeye Maty Ndiaye, Material engineering, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal
• Dr. Waad Saftly, Physics, Al-Baath University, Syria

Asia and the Pacific

• Dr. So Young Choi, Industrial biotechnology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea
• Dr. Van Thi Thanh Ho, Chemical engineering, Hochiminh City University of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam
• Dr. Pantana Tor-ngern, Earth and related environmental sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
• Dr. Daria Smirnova, Physics, Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia

Europe

• Dr. Natalia Bruno, Physics, National Institute of Optics of the National Research Council, Italy
• Dr. Karolina Mikulska-Ruminska, Physics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Poland
• Dr. Ieva Plikusiene, Chemistry, Vilnius University, Lithuania
• Dr. Beatriz Villarroel, Physics, Stockholm University, Sweden

Latin America and the Caribbean

• Dr. Maria Florencia Cayrol, Biological science, Institute of Biomedical Research - UCA - CONICET, Argentina
• Dr. Irene del Real, Earth and related environmental sciences, Austral University, Chile

North America

• Dr. Daphné Lemasquerier, Physics, University of Texas at Austin, United States of America
• Dr. Alison McAfee, Biological science, University of British Columbia and North Carolina State University, Canada

Regional programmes

"Women in Science" has national and regional awards.

• L’Oréal Korea-UNESCO for Women in Science Award

See also

• Women in science
  • Women in chemistry
  • Women in medicine
  • Women in physics
• List of science and technology awards for women
• List of general science and technology awards

External links

• Official website
• For Women in Science at L'Oréal
• For Women in Science at UNESCO