The Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO are proud to announce the five 2023 laureates of the For Women in Science International Awards. On 15th June, the Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO will honor these distinguished women scientists from five major regions of the world with exceptional careers for the contribution to society of their research in Physical sciences, Mathematics and Computer science.
The unique 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.
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.
Laureate for Africa and the Arab States
Professor Suzana Nunes – Chemistry
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
Prof. Suzana Nunes is awarded for her 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.
Laureate for Latin America and the Caribbean
Professor Anamaría Font – Physics
Professor of Physics, Central University of Venezuela
Prof. Anamaría Font is awarded for her 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.
Laureate for North America
Professor Aviv Regev – Bioinformatics
Executive Vice President and Global Head of Genentech Research and Early Development, Genentech/Roche, San Francisco
Prof. Aviv Regev is awarded for her 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.
Laureate for Asia and the Pacific
Professor Lidia Morawska – Earth and environmental science
Distinguished Professor, School of Earth Sciences and Climate, Queensland University of Technology, Australia and Director of the International Laboratory for air quality and health
Prof. Lidia Morawska is awarded for her 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.
Laureate for Europe
Professor Frances Kirwan – Mathematics
Savilian Professor of Geometry, University of Oxford
Prof. Frances Kirwan is recognized for her 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.
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 Programmes, putting women scientists in the spotlight and contributing to breaking the glass ceiling in science.
“I gained significant visibility in Canada and internationally as a result of the For Women In Science award, which opened more doors in science, engineering and biomedical research,” explains Prof. Molly Shoichet from Canada, the International Laureate for North America in 2015.
For the young women scientists, obtaining recognition through the Young Talents programme 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.
