L’Oréal & UNESCO Announce 2023 Laureates of the For Women in Science International Awards

The Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO have announced the five 2023 laureates of the For Women in Science International Awards. On June 15, the Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO will honor these distinguished women scientists from five major regions of the world for the contribution to society of their research in Physical sciences, Mathematics and Computer science.
 
The ceremony, which will take place at UNESCO’s Headquarters in Paris, will also be the opportunity to celebrate 25 years of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Programme, which has become well renowned for recognizing the scientific excellence of female researchers at national, regional and international levels.
 
Read More: revisit last year’s winners.

The winners of the 25th L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards

The five 2023 laureates were chosen by an independent jury presided over by Professor Artur Avila, Professor at Institute of Mathematics University of Zurich (Switzerland), Extraordinary Researcher at IMPA (Instituto de Mathematica Pura e Aplicada) Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Fields medal winner in 2014, for the 25th L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards, in the fields of Physical science, Mathematics and Computer science.
 
The 2023 For Women in Science Laureates include:
 

• Professor Suzana Nunes – Chemistry: Prof. Suzana Nunes is awarded for her 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.


• Professor Anamaría Font – Physics: Prof. Anamaría Font is awarded for her 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.


• Professor Aviv Regev – Bioinformatics: Prof. Aviv Regev is awarded for her 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.


• Professor Lidia Morawska - Earth and environmental science: Prof. Lidia Morawska is awarded for her 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.


• Professor Frances Kirwan – Mathematics: Prof. Frances Kirwan is recognized for her 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.

25 Years to Promote Women in Science

For 25 years, the Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO have worked together to promote women in science through the For Women in Science International Awards, and the Young Talents Programs, putting women scientists in the spotlight and contributing to breaking the glass ceiling in science.
 
For the young women scientists, obtaining recognition through the Young Talents program is often decisive, as it encourages them to pursue their career path: “I was thinking of abandoning science. This award changed my life. I’m thriving now as a woman in science and am very grateful for this support” explains Dr Mónica López Hidalgo (Mexico), recipient of the Young Talents Award in 2017.
 
It also enables them to build self-confidence and leadership skills: “This award came at a key moment in my life which allowed me to have confidence in myself and to continue in the world of research“ reports Dr Lucie Barblu-Levast (France), who won the Young Talents Award in 2018.

Promoting the Inclusion of Women Scientists

At the end of the 1990s, women represented 27% of researchers worldwide. In 2014, this percentage increased to 30%, and today, one researcher in three is a woman (33%). Although the number of women pursuing scientific careers is gradually rising, in the domain of research, this progress is very insufficient. Furthermore, the glass ceiling remains a reality: only 18% of senior scientific roles are held by women in Europe, and only 12% of the members of national science academies globally are women. Meanwhile, less than 4%of Nobel Prizes in natural sciences have been awarded to women.
 
Alexandra Palt, Executive Director of the Fondation L’Oréal observes that: “In the time of a generation, the For Women in Science programme has contributed to creating a real transformation by raising the profile of women representing every continent and breaking new ground in all disciplines. However, while we are conscious of the progress we have made, we remain determined, as the task remains significant. The presence of women in science and particularly in senior positions is still too low due to the gender inequality and discrimination they still have to face. We cannot encourage young women to direct their paths towards a scientific career without the assurance that they will be able to flourish with freedom and in complete safety in their workplace. Our most important mission is to promote, raise awareness of and support researchers, so that they can contribute fully to resolving the great challenges of our time and inspire future generations.”
 
For Xing Qu, Deputy Director General of UNESCO: “These last years have demonstrated more than ever the importance of science to address the serious challenges facing the world today.  In order for science to be effective, it must be able to draw on the talents of all of us. UNESCO, as the agency of the United Nations with the specific mandate for science and which has made gender equality one of its global priorities, is determined to act to end all forms of discrimination against women and girls. The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Programme is a perfect example of a partnership giving a voice and visibility to the outstanding work and research of many women scientists which addresses the challenges of our century. Th 25th L’Oréal-UNESCO International Awards ceremony celebrates talented women who excel in scientific fields that are fundamental to all our futures.”