PR NAJAT AOUN SALIBA

Analytical and atmospheric Chemistry

Professor of chemistry and Director of the Nature conservation center at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.

Air pollution is the single greatest environmental health risk globally, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that one in eight deaths is caused by ambient or indoor air pollution*. L’Oréal-UNESCO Chemistry Laureate Pr Najat Aoun Saliba is conducting world-leading research on the chemical and toxic composition of polluted air, focusing on inhalable and atmospheric aerosols. She is a pioneer in assessing and understanding the transformations of ambient pollutants in Lebanon and the Middle East, and a recognised global expert in identifying toxic and carcinogenic substances emitted by combustible and non-combustible nicotine delivery systems such as hookahs and electronic cigarettes.

Importantly, Pr Saliba is active in raising awareness of her discoveries among government authorities, global health organisations and communities, and seeks to influence public health policy. She established the first database of major atmospheric pollutants in Lebanon, and demonstrated that open incineration of the country’s waste has multiplied the toxic content of air by a factor of 15.

She is propelled on by her desire to understand the essence of health and environmental risks at a molecular level. “It is the understanding of the nanopicture of the molecular structure and mechanisms of reactions that allows us to see the macro-picture of the climate and environment”, she explains.

Growing up on her family’s banana farm in rural Lebanon, Pr Saliba shared her father’s profound connection to the earth. Later, when civil war prompted a move to the city, disrupting her studies, she was awakened to the disturbing realities of air pollution, as scandals surrounding dirty fuel imports hit Lebanon. She has also witnessed relatives, friends and colleagues developing health issues as a result of exposure to toxic substances in the environment.

Having always wanted to be a teacher, she taught in secondary schools for six years, before deepening her scientific knowledge by continuing her studies in analytical and atmospheric chemistry in the US.

Back in Lebanon, established an interdisciplinary environmental research team at the American University of Beirut. “Nothing deterred me from moving forward”, she says. “I was extremely focused on my work, I believed in the science I was creating and was certain that the impact would be imminent.” She believes the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science award will help to bring more recognition to scientists in Lebanon and other emerging economies, as well as reinforcing the value

of interdisciplinary research in advancing environmental science.

Among her many achievements, Pr Saliba has established robust analytical methods to measure the principle toxic ingredients of tobacco smoke. She was the first to identify carcinogenic compounds (such as formaldehyde) in hookah, and has also measured large quantities of major toxic compounds (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) consumed with just one hookah inhalation. More recently, she has become the first to report that electronic cigarettes can generate carbon monoxide, contrary to popular belief.

Pr Saliba has won the American Psychology Association’s award along with her interdisciplinary research team, and the National Lebanese Council’s Scientific Research award, in the environmental category.

In the future, Pr Saliba wants to help create a holistic, integrated approach to finding adaptive solutions to climate change challenges in the Middle East. Her dream is to collaborate with fellow scientists to understand the effects of inhalable and atmospheric particles on human organs, and in particular, how they contribute to the development of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, dementia and cancer in children.

She is passionate about more women entering science, and goes further by stating that science will “do justice to the world” when women scientists outnumber their male counterparts. “Women are more inclusive, they are not afraid of sharing and are highly open to collaboration, which is vital to developing efficient, holistic approaches”, she says.

Pr Saliba has never bowed to the prejudice

or gender stereotyping, maintaining a clear focus on her goals and detaching herself from criticism:

“I am proud of who I am, and I’ve always acted as me - a smart, elegant, and highly sensitive woman.”

To break the glass ceiling, she believes women scientists must overcome social and cultural barriers at the personal, local and international levels. “Women in science is a way of life”, she says. “It’s a state of mind based on strong logic and driven by scientific evidence.” The way forward, she believes, is leading by example and sharing success stories - she herself was inspired by her postdoctoral supervisor, Dr Barbara Finlayson-Pitts, a leading figure in atmospheric science. Above all, she asks her women students to “stand up for their rights, develop high confidence in their work… and dare to dream”.

PR MAKI KAWAI

Chemistry / Catalysis

Director General of the Institute for Molecular Sciences, President of Chemical Society, Member of the Science Council, Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo, Japan.

Chemicals have brought great benefits to humans, but have also created significant environmental pollution. Now, a leading woman scientist has uncovered a way to manipulate surface atoms and molecules that could lead to the discovery of new chemical and physical phenomena, and address pressing energy and environmental issues.

Pr Maki Kawai specialises in surface science, the study of fundamental aspects of physics and chemistry that occur at a wide range of surfaces and interfaces (such as between solids and liquids or solids and gases). In particular, she explores surface chemical reactions at a nanoscopic level using vibrational spectroscopy. For example, she and her team are helping to unveil the complexity behind the chemical reaction in catalysis, and exploring the heterogeneous charge distribution at the interface of solids that function as molecular devices.

“The global ambition of science and technology is to support the sustainable development of our planet”, she says. “We must strengthen the fundamental research that can be applied to the many examples of chemicals that have proved to be noxious for the environment, such as microplastics.”

Pr Maki Kawai’s success in manipulating surface atoms and converting the energy absorbed to generate certain chemical reactions on a surface is considered as foundational to nanoscience. In particular, this could lead to ground-breaking physical and chemical discoveries, and pave the way to creating innovative materials with improved characteristics - better performing photovoltaic cells, for example. It could also contribute to energy conversion, which could help to reduce the carbon emissions associated with energy.

She also hopes that the scanning probe microscope, which allows her to create images of surfaces at an atomic level and is central to her research, could become a general tool for characterising surface defects and molecules at different adsorption sites in ambient conditions.

As the daughter of two university physics professors, and a regular visitor to the local science museum with her father, it is perhaps not surprising that the young Maki became interested in science from an early age.

“I was curious to understand the “why” behind everything”, she explains. “I was fascinated by the beauty of nature, and phenomena such as

atmospheric pressure and the acceleration of gravity.”

Pr Maki Kawai began her studies at the University of Tokyo in 1971, and gained her first contract with RIKEN, one of Japan’s most prestigious research institutes, in 1980. She later became Executive Director of the institute. She was a Professor at the University of Tokyo, before becoming Director General of the Institute for Molecular Science in 2016. Her accolades include the Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Prize for Science and Technology (2008), and the Chemical Society of Japan Award (2009). She won her first award for being an outstanding women scientist in 1996, the Saruhashi Award.

Throughout her distinguished career, Pr Maki Kawai has experienced both challenges and ‘eureka moments’. After completing her PhD and before finding an opportunity to engage in longterm research, she undertook various positions across governmental organisations, academic institutions and businesses. In retrospect, this multi-dimensional experience provided her with an array of different perspectives, and she particularly enjoyed working at Osaka Gas.

However, it is research that truly inspires her. The freedom to explore and the joy of discovery have remained with her, particularly when she uses new theories or ways of thinking to explain unexpected experimental findings. “It’s important to have a dream and move forward with positivity and courage towards your next target”, she says. She recently combined data and theory to explain the differing spin nature of iron phthalocyanine molecules according to the adsorption site.

Commenting on the position of women in science, Pr Maki Kawai says: “Diversity in our science community is always a problem. We must work hard to increase the proportion of women scientists and ensure that men and women can contribute equally.”

She believes that confidence is the key to breaking the glass ceiling, and that collaboration is integral to learning and amplifying global scientific discussions.

PR CLAIRE VOISIN

Mathematics / Algebraic Geometry

Professor at the Collège de France and former researcher at the CNRS (the French national centre for scientific research), France.

In today’s instantaneous, media-driven world, scientific and mathematical challenges requiring deep thought and intellectual engagement with concepts and abstract theories rarely make the headlines. With the exception of a few more ‘celebrated’ branches of science, the contribution of scientists to society typically remains hidden, diverting government funding away from science, according to L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Mathematics Laureate 2019, Pr Claire Voisin.

And with mathematics often presented to school pupils as a ‘fixed’, unimaginative discipline consisting of ‘ready-made’ definitions, rule and equations, Pr Claire Voisin believes children are deterred from fully exploring the value of mathematics. “I’m in favour of a more open style of teaching, which would encourage students to push themselves and ask themselves more questions”, she recalls.

With a naturally inquisitive mind, Pr Claire Voisin began exploring mathematics from a young age, encouraged by her father. She was delighted, aged 12, to discover the beauty of congruences, the poetry of algebra and the joy of combining conceptual and abstract reasoning to prove a concrete result. “It was wonderful to understand so fully how things work”, she says.

In her intellectual elasticity and bold, uncompromising and rigorous approach, Claire Voisin embodies the classic idea of a mathematician. Free from the distraction of a mobile phone, she regularly explores new ideas and conundrums as she walks through the streets of Paris. Her love of finding theories, hidden logic and precise structures extends beyond mathematics to art and poetry too, rendering her unique: an artist of mathematics.

The desire to explore complex subjects and push the boundaries has shaped Claire Voisin’s studies and career, leading her to focus on abstract mathematics. She specialises in algebraic geometry, a discipline that studies intrinsic properties of geometric figures starting from their equations. Throughout history, geometry has played an important role in helping us to understand the structure of the world, and more recently, the universe. The first geometers calculated the radius of the Earth, and physicists have built on theories from algebraic geometry to make their own discoveries.

A large part of Pr Claire Voisin’s own pioneering research and achievements in complex algebraic geometry relies on the theory of Hodge structures (algebraic structures at the level of linear algebra) and uses it to address fundamental questions on the topology of complex varieties. The most important question in this field is the Hodge conjecture, a major unsolved problem in algebraic geometry.

Speaking about the value of mathematical research, Pr Claire Voisin says that it is hard to predict what will remain important in the long term. The value of research in pure mathematics is not measured by immediate applications, but it is important particularly in terms of developing new ways of thinking. “It might be just one construction, one argument, or the main result that are important for the future”, she says.

With a string of awards and accolades to her name, including membership of the Académie des Sciences, Pr Claire Voisin is also the first woman mathematician to enter the Collège de France, the country’s most prestigious research institution. She is also one of five women to have been awarded the gold medal from the CNRS (the French National Centre for Scientific Research).

While Pr Claire Voisin has not personally experienced gender discrimination during her career, she recognises that most women scientists do not achieve the recognition they deserve, and their work is often undervalued, or not considered as equal to men’s work. “I think women have to make more effort than men, in particular at the beginning of their career, in order to be considered as serious researchers”, she says.

Indeed, with too few women becoming mathematicians and scientists, particularly in her field, Pr Claire Voisin believes that women in science are too often treated as a minority, rather than “scientists among scientists”. The lack of women in research roles represents “a significant loss for science”. She recommends that all young women scientists should be ambitious and overlook external perspectives, and hopes that her recognition as a L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science laureate will help encourage more women to pursue mathematics, including pure mathematics.

PR KAREN HALLBERG

Physics / Condensed Matter physics

Professor at the Balseiro institute and Research director at the Bariloche atomic centre, CNEA/CONICET, Argentina.

Renowned physicist Pr Karen Hallberg’s is an expert in quantum condensed matter physics, the study of the structure and behaviour of matter. She has developed and improved numerical tools, including the ‘Density Matrix Renormalisation Group’ technique, to calculate the precise physical properties of novel materials at the microscopic level.

“Studying this complex behaviour allows us to understand the basic mechanisms behind, for example, high temperature superconductivity or colossal magneto resistance”, she says. “In short, we expect to contribute to the understanding of one of the most complex problems in physics: interacting many-body quantum behaviour.”

Superconductors are materials in which resistivity completely disappears under a certain temperature, the current range lying below approximately -160°C. Without resistivity, it is possible to create very strong magnetic fields or to transport electricity for long distances without heat loss. Superconducting materials are used in diverse applications including medical equipment (such as magnetic resonance imaging scanners), digital circuits, sensitive magnetometers and detectors, and energy storage and generation. Today, there is a quest among the scientific community to create new materials that become superconductors at room temperature.

To succeed in this endeavour, researchers, including Pr Karen Hallberg, are seeking to deepen their understanding of what takes place at the atomic and electronic scales.

Pr Karen Hallberg’s scientific journey began early in life, when as a child, she continuously asked questions about the world, earning her the nickname of “Señorita por qué” (“Miss why”), and formed an all-girl science club with her friends.

“I remember the sense of awe when I looked up at the stars”, she says. “It always made me feel so insignificant, even more now that I am more conscious of the immense space-time distances!”

Her enthusiasm and the joy of discovery have stayed with her throughout her career. While calculating the precise densities of states, she was recently fascinated to identify a new particle, a quasiparticle, and elaborated a theory to explain it.

In the future, she would be interested to understand the microscopic origin of high temperature superconductivity, and how scientists might be able to build materials atom by atom, giving them predetermined properties for new and important applications. Beyond her immediate field, she dreams of leveraging physics to understand consciousness, the behaviour of the human brain, and even the emergence of life.

Pr Karen Hallberg won the John Simon Guggenheim fellowship in 2005, and was honoured by L’Oréal and the Argentine government’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council in 2008 for her work on quantum properties and transport in nanoscopic and molecular systems. She is also a corresponding member of Argentina’s National Academy for exact, Physical and natural Sciences, a member of the Argentine Committee on Ethics in Science and Technology and Senior Associate of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste.

In addition to her studies, Pr Karen Hallberg contributes to developing international scientific policy, as a council member of the Pugwash Conferences for Science and World affairs.

She is also committed to supporting minorities and women in science. “Physics, for example, is among the scientific careers that, regrettably, has the lowest participation of women”, she explains. She believes more action is needed to support women scientists throughout their careers, particularly when it comes to balancing motherhood with the productivity levels and international travel that are vital to progressing and gaining recognition.

Pr Karen Hallberg believes the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award plays an instrumental role in promoting collaboration between leading women scientists and helping women in science achieve greater visibility.

“I can’t think of any other global initiative on gender issues in science with a broader impact”, she says.

PR INGRID DAUBECHIES

Mathematics / Mathematical Physics

Professor in the Mathematics and Electrical and Computer Engineering Departments, Duke University, United States.

Pr Ingrid Daubechies is a physicist and applied mathematician. Her remarkable research on wavelet theory has transformed the numerical treatment of images and signals for data compression, creating a new universal language for scientists and catalysing multiple innovations. An exceptional woman scientist, she is also engaged in the fight for equal opportunities, education and access to science in developing countries.

“In maths, we always seek to understand magical things,” says Pr Ingrid Daubechies. “I hope that my work will also be instrumental in helping people see that mathematics is everywhere. Identifying patterns and applying them in a different setting is very natural, very human.”

Pr Ingrid Daubechies’ steadfast focus on recasting problems in a new light saw her building on the foundational work of wavelet pioneer Yves Meyer to establish the ultimate solution to wavelet decomposition. She describes wavelets as “mathematical building blocks” that can be used to extract the essential elements of images or signals (according to the required scale) without losing their quality. Meyer describes her work as a “revolution”.

Wavelet decomposition has become an indispensable tool for working with signals, images and video. For example, it has enabled the reconstruction of early Hubble Telescope images, electronic sharing of highly detailed fingerprints, the detection of forged documents, the rise of digital cinema and even medical imaging. Similarly, it is a vital component of wireless communication, and is also used to compress sound sequences into MP3 files, so that music can be stored and transmitted via iPods and smartphones. Scientists even used construction akin to wavelets to help detect, in 2015, a gravitational wave generated by the collision of two black holes.

Born in Belgium and naturalised as American in 1996, Pr Ingrid Daubechies’ studies and career have spanned two continents. With an innate interest in how and why things work, she was encouraged towards science by her school teachers and parents, and remembers being particularly inspired by learning about light refraction and prisms. “I felt absolutely thrilled, and a little incredulous, trying experiments to see whether it was really true,” she recalls. “The sense of combined wonder and awe, and the thirst to understand is what drives me still.”

After gaining her PhD in theoretical physics at Vrije University in Brussels in 1980, Pr Ingrid Daubechies later joined the Mathematical Research Center of AT&T Bell Labs in New Jersey, United States, in 1987, before moving to Rutgers University and becoming the first woman ‘Full professor’ of mathematics at Princeton University in 2004. She currently resides at Duke University, where the mathematics department is rated by The Times Higher Education review as the tenth best globally. She received a Guggenheim fellowship in 2013 and was awarded the medal of the US National Academy of Sciences in 2000. She is also a foreign member of the prestigious Académie des Sciences in France.

Beyond her mathematical prowess, Pr Ingrid Daubechies has been active in helping to expand access to maths and science in developing countries, a cause that she pursued vigorously as the President of the International Mathematical Union from 2011 to 2014.

While she has not experienced gender discrimination on her own scientific journey, Pr Ingrid Daubechies recognises that there are still many barriers to more women entering science, with too few role models and few women in positions of authority. In addition to mentoring for young women scientists, she believes a wholesale shift in perceptions is needed, both in terms of gender equality and the nature of mathematics as a subject. “Many people see life as a scientist as rather narrow or uncreative – which isn’t true at all – and I believe this discourages women more than men,” she says.

“Diversity brings a wealth of ideas and more surprising ways of approaching issues, which is vital for any creative discipline,” she concludes. “This is now more important than ever as scientists seek to address the existential challenges facing life on Earth.”

Pr Serge Abiteboul

Senior Researcher Inria, ENS

"The cause of Women in Science is essential because we can not do without their talents, and it concerns us all, men and women, of course."

Serge Abiteboul obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, and a State Doctoral Thesis from the University of Paris-Sud. He has been a researcher at the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et Automatique since 1982, Directeur de Recherche CE since 01/01/2004, in a research team located at Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris, since 2016. He is Distinguished Affiliated Professor at Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan . He was a Lecturer at the École Polytechnique and Visiting Professor at Stanford and Oxford University. He has been Chair Professor at Collège de France in 2011-12 and Francqui Chair Professor at Namur University in 2012-2013. He co-founded the company Xyleme in 2000. Serge Abiteboul has received the ACM SIGMOD Innovation Award in 1998, the EADS Award from the French Academy of sciences in 2007; the Milner Award from the Royal Society in 2013; and a European Research Council Fellowship (2008-2013). He became a member of the French Academy of Sciences in 2008, and a member the Academy of Europe in 2011. He has been a member of the Conseil national du numérique (2013-2016) and Chairman of the Scientific board of the Société d'Informatique de France (2013-2015). He is, since 1917, Chair of the Stretegic Council of the Blaise Pascal Foundation. His research work focuses mainly on data, information and knowledge management, particularly on the Web. He founded and is an editor of the blog binaire.blogs.lemonde.fr.

Serge Abiteboul also writes novels, essays, and is editor and founder of the Blog Binaire. He was scientific curator of the exhibiti "Terra Data" at the Cité des Sciences in 2017-2018.

Pr Paul Anastas

Founding Director of the Center for Green Chemistry & Green Engineering at Yale

Scientific advances will never reach their full potential to do good for humanity if half of the population’s insights and wisdom continues to be ignored and under-valued by the scientific enterprise. The “Male Champions for Women in Science” initiative is the simple recognition that any man truly interested in advancing science needs to be truly dedicated to women in science.

Paul T. Anastas is a scientist, inventor, author, entrepreneur, and public servant from the United States.

Dr. Anastas has served in three U.S. Presidential Administrations including the appointment by President Barack Obama as the Assistant Administrator for Research and Development at the US Environmental Protection Agency and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under Presidents Clinton and Bush. Known as the ‘Father of Green Chemistry’ he is credited with establishing the field of green chemistry in 1991 and is has been internationally recognized for his advancement of the field.

Professor Paul T. Anastas currently holds the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Chair in Chemistry for the Environment at Yale University and is the founding Director of the Center for Green Chemistry & Green Engineering at Yale. Dr. Anastas has appointments at Yale’s School of Medicine/School of Public Health, School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Department of Chemistry, School of Management, and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Trained as a synthetic organic chemist, Dr. Anastas received his Ph.D. from Brandeis University, co-founded the not-for-profit Green Chemistry Institute and 4 companies based on sustainable technologies.

Dr. Anastas has published widely on topics of science through sustainability including over 150 research papers and 14 books, such as Benign by Design, Designing Safer Polymers, Green Engineering, and his seminal work with co-author John Warner, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice.

Yvon Berland

President of Aix-Marseille University

Yvon Berland was re-elected President of Aix-Marseille University on 5th January 2016. A university professor and hospital practitioner, he has been at the head of the university since its creation in January 2012. He was previously President of the University of the Mediterranean (Aix-Marseille 2) since 2004.

Re-elected Chairman of the CPU Health Commission (Conference of University Presidents) on 15th December 2016 (elected in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014), Yvon Berland was Vice Chairman of the CPU from December 2010 to December 2012. He also chaired the PRES Aix-Marseille University for one year (September 2008-September 2009).

An intern in Marseille’s hospitals, he obtained his doctorate in medicine in 1979. He was appointed university professor and hospital practitioner in 1988 and took over as head of the hemodialysis nephrology department at the Sainte-Marguerite Hospital. Then, in 2000, he becomes the head of the renal nephrology, dialysis and transplantation department at the Conception Hospital. He has also been the coordinating doctor of the Marseille clinical investigation centre since 1995.

Dean of the Marseille Faculty of Medicine in 1998, he was vice-president of the conference of medical deans in 2002. He is also Chairman of the Biomedical and Health Research Committee of the Marseille Public Hospitals (AP-HM). Since 2002, he has been producing regular reports on the demographics of the health professions for the Ministry of Health. He has chaired the ONDPS (national observatory for health professions) since 2003.

Yvon Berland is a knight in the Order of the Legion of Honour, a knight in the National Order of Merit, an officer in the Order of Academic Palms, a gold medal for Youth and Sports and a gold medal for the Hôpitaux de Marseille.

Pr Gilles Boeuf

Professor, Pierre et Marie Curie University, Sorbonne

"A commitment for women: they are more than half of humanity and not respected as they should! And even often, little girls do not go to school! Women have a perception and sensitivity that are often more relevant than men. They also have solutions we do not have. So let's restore the original justice and help them fully express their qualities!"

Gilles Boeuf is professor at the University Pierre et Marie Curie/Sorbonne Université (UPMC) where he carries out his research within the research team « Integrative biology of marine organisms » at the Oceanological Observatory of Banyuls (OOB), in the Pyreneans, on the Mediterranean Sea. He spent 20 years at the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER) in Brest, then he was director of OOB, the Arago Laboratory (Pierre & Marie Curie University and French National Center for Scientific Research “CNRS”, OOB), then director of the research team «Models in cell and evolutionary biology» for 4 years. From 2009 to 2015 he was chairman of the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN) in Paris. He was also invited to teach «Sustainable Development, energies, environment and societies» at the Collège de France for the academic year 2013-2014, devoting his lessons to the subject of « Biodiversity and its interrelationship with humankind ». In 2015-2017, he was scientific advisor for life and wildlife sciences, climate and ocean for Ségolène Royal, minister of environment, energy and sea (MEEM). Presently, he is the chairman of the Scientific Board of the French Agency for Biodiversity.

Pr Khaled Bouabdallah

Since July 2015, Khaled Bouabdallah has been President of the Université de Lyon, the second most important scientific hub in France, that encompasses universities, prestigious higher education institutions and research bodies in Lyon and Saint-Étienne site and is composed of 12 member institutions and several associated institutions.

University professor, economist, Khaled Bouabdallah is a specialist in labor market micro-economics and territorial economic development. He was head of the Higher Institute for Economy, Administration and Management (IAE Saint-Étienne) from 2003 to 2006, as well as the technological research team on "territorial engineering", from 2001 to 2010.

President of the Université Jean-Monnet from 2007 to 2015, he was at the same time re-elected Vice-President of the CPU (Conference of university presidents) in 2014.

Representative of the CPU on the board of directors for Campus France, he is also a member of the AUF (Francophone University Association) board of directors, and of the supervisory committee for the law on the reform of the French public school system.

Honors: Knight of the French National Order of Merit, Knight of the French Legion of Honor.

Pr Jean Chambaz

President, Sorbonne Université

"To advance science and advance society, we need more women to get involved and promoted in science. In higher education, as everywhere else, we need to take action to value their potential and promote their achievements. "

Jean Chambaz is President at Sorbonne Université. He became President of Pierre and Marie Curie University (UPMC) in March 2012. In March 2016, he was reelected for a second term that concluded on December 31, 2017.

A Professor of Cellular Biology at Pierre and Marie Curie Faculty of Medicine, Jean Chambaz was head of Endocrine Biochemistry at La Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. In 1999, he created a joint INSERM-UPMC research unit in the field of Metabolism and Intestinal Differentiation, which in 2007 merged with the Cordeliers Research Center, of which he became deputy director.

In 2005, he created the Institute of Doctoral Education at UPMC. From 2008 to 2011, he presided over the Council for Doctoral Education of the European University Association (EUA). He was elected to the EUA board in 2015. Since November 2014, he has been President of the Coordination of French Research-Intensive Universities (CURIF).

Pr Mark Ferguson

Director General, Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland

"Diverse workforces enhance productivity , creativity and profitability. To that end creating the conditions for many more talented women to join and remain in scientific research is a priority."

Professor Mark W.J. Ferguson commenced as Director General of Science Foundation Ireland in January 2012 and as Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland in October 2012. Professor Ferguson is a founding member of the Small Advanced Economies Initiative, was Chair of the eHealth Ireland Committee, (2015 – 2017) and a member of the EU High Level Expert Group on Horizon 2020 Impact (2017) and has been involved in a number of international reviews of R&D systems, including Hungary and Canada. Previously he was Professor in Life Sciences at the University of Manchester (since 1984) and co-founder, CEO and Chairman of Renovo Group plc (1998-2011).

He is the recipient of numerous international research awards including the 2002 European Science Prize (jointly), and is the author of 327 research papers and book chapters, 60 patent families and author / editor of 8 books.

Mark graduated from the Queens University of Belfast with degrees in Dentistry (BDS 1st class honours), Anatomy and Embryology (BSc 1st class honours, PhD) and Medical Sciences (DMedSc), holds Fellowships from the Royal Colleges of Surgeons in Ireland (FFD), and Edinburgh (FDS) and is a Founding Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci). He is a member or Fellow of a number of learned Societies, and was made a “Commander of the British Empire” (CBE) by the Queen in 1999 for services to Health and Life Sciences.

Pr Alain Fuchs

President, Paris Sciences & Lettres (PSL) University

"Gender equality is not a women’s issue, it is a human issue and a civilization issue."

Professor Alain Fuchs is the president of Paris Sciences & Lettres (PSL) University in Paris, France. He studied chemistry at EPFL, Lausanne and received his PhD in physical chemistry at the University Paris-Sud, Orsay France in 1983. After a postdoctoral stay at the University of Edinburgh, he was appointed as a research fellow at the french Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). He became Professor of chemistry at Université Paris-Sud in 1996 and director of the École de Chimie-Paris, a graduate school of chemistry and chemical engineer, in 2006. He was appointed in 2010 as the President and CEO of CNRS. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a member of the Academia Europea. His research activity is devoted to the modelling and theory of fluids confined in nanoporous materials.

Pr Jean-Marc Gambaudo

Pr Mouin Hamze

Secretary General, National Council for Scientific Research – Lebanon (CNRS-L)

“Sustainable development is only possible if we rely on all contributing members of our community; making it our moral and ethical responsibility to provide equal opportunities for both men and women. Believing also that scientific research is the main engine for building a knowledge economy and a community free of violence, extremism, and discrimination.”

M. Hamzé obtained his “Doctorat d’Etat - Es Sciences” from the University of Montpellier, France. He started his academic career at the Lebanese University where he established the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and acted as Dean of the faculty from 1985 to1997. He was acting concurrently as Chairman of the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute.

In 1998, M. Hamzé was appointed Secretary General of the National Council for Scientific Research – Lebanon (CNRS-L). He has since given special attention to launching and enhancing new programs including: the Ph.D. Scholarship Program, the Grant Research Program, and the Associated Research Units Program; as well as established the CNRS-L Lebanese Science Journal and acts as its editor-in-chief. In 2011, he established the CNRS-L Annual Research Excellence Award, which recognizes scientists who excel in conducting research in different scientific disciplines in Lebanon. M. Hamzé has also developed and implemented a fundamental science policy programme (Science Technology & Innovation Policy –STIP). While in 2016 he has lead an initiative to develop the Charter of Ethics and Guiding Principles of Scientific Research in Lebanon (signed by 19 universities and adopted as an integral part of all CNRS-L Programmes) for defining basic principles of ethics and regulations for a responsible conduct of research in the different disciplines of science. The charter was also recently confirmed as a basis for a regional Arab charter.

In recognition of his work, M. Hamzé received two Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Haute Alsace and from the University of Montpellier and was distinguishly awarded from France and Italy.

François Houllier

Pr Etienne Klein

Director of the Research Laboratory on Matter Sciences at CEA (LARSIM)

Born in 1958, Etienne Klein is physicist at CEA, the French Atomic Energy Commission, at Saclay near Paris.

Since 2007, he is the Director of the Research Laboratory on Matter Sciences at CEA (LARSIM). His research interests include the foundations of physics, the interpretation of quantum mechanics, the question of time in physics and the relationship between science and society.

He is professor at Ecole Centrale de Paris, both in physics and philosophy of science. He is member of the French Academy of Technologies.

Pr Philippe Kourilsky

Professor Emeritus, Collège de France

Honorary Director General, Pasteur Institute

Philippe Kourilsky (born in 1942) graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris in 1964. He started research in biology in 1965. A member of CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), he joined the Pasteur Institute in 1972. His major scientific achievements are in the fields of molecular genetics and immunology. From 1998 to 2012, he held the chair of Molecular Immunology at the College de France. He has also been involved in biotechnologies and in the administration of research. In1981, he was the co-founder of Transgène, the first large french biotech company. From 1993 to 1996, he was the Director of Research of the Pasteur Mérieux Connaught vaccine company (now Sanofi-Pasteur). From 2000-2005, he was appointed Director General of the Pasteur Institute and chaired the International network of Pasteur Institutes. He has been sitting on several Boards of Directors (including those of Ecole Polytechnique and Veolia Environment). From 2006 to 2013, he has created and chaired the Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN). In 2012, he created and currently chairs the NGO ‘RESOLIS’.

He is the author of close to 400 publications in international scientific journals and has written several books dealing with science and the public, (for example on the precautionary principle). He is a member of the French Academy of Sciences, and a Professor Honoris causa of several universities, and a ‘Commandeur de la Légion d’Honneur’ and ‘Grand officier dans l’ordre national du mérite’.

Patrick Lévy

Rector of Grenoble Alpes University

« Science should be inspired and done by women in any country in the world. This is needed for science quality. It is critical for social and cultural development.”

Patrick Lévy, 64 year-old, is currently Rector of Grenoble Alpes University (2018-2019). He has been Rector of Joseph Fourier University (2012-2015) and of Grenoble University Community (2016-17). He is professor of Physiology, MD, respiratory physician, graduated with a Master degree in Animal Physiology (1986) and a PhD in Physiology (1989). He led the Pulmonary Function Test Unit, Sleep Lab (1988-2012) and Clinical Research Department (2000-2012) at Grenoble University Hospital. He has been the head of the Hypoxia Pathophysiology Laboratory (HP2) Grenoble Alpes Univ. and Inserm (2003-2015) and set one of the most active Research Laboratory on Obstructive Sleep Apnea worldwide. He is leading the project named Grenoble Alpes University – Initiative of Excellence, an ambitious vision for establishing a large research and multidisciplinary University in Grenoble and the Alps, reaching a critical mass and improving its international visibility. The project has been labelled in 2016. The new institution will be created on 2020 January 1st.

Pr Daniel Louvard

Honorary Director, Institut Curie

« Science is an international adventure without any borders, the same passion for research animates women and men which make ignorance step back”

Professor Daniel Louvard (born February 20 1948) was awarded his PhD in Biochemistry in 1973 and Physical Sciences in 1976 from the University of Marseille. From 1978 to 1982 he was head of a team at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany), after which he joined the Institut Pasteur, where from 1988 to 1990 he was the Director of the Molecular Biology Department, and since 1987 has been Professor. He was Director of Research CNRS (1986-2013) and Director of the Research Center of the Institut Curie (1993-2013). He is now Emeritus Director of Research CNRS, Honorary Professor Institut Pasteur , Honorary Director Institut Curie ,Advisor of the President of the Board of Directors of Institut Curie for International affairs. In 2014 and 2015 he was on sabbatical leave as a visiting scientist at Biogen (Cambridge,USA)

Prof. Louvard was also head of the Morphogenesis and Cell Signaling Laboratory Institut Curie / CNRS UMR 144(1995-2013). He served as member of numerous scientific committees of the CNRS and the French Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), ad hoc committees and scientific organizations such as EMBO and the Scientific Committee of the Human Frontier Science Program, ERC panel member for advanced grants.

Member of the French Academy of Sciences (2003), European Academy of Sciences (1995) ,Academia Europa (1997), the European Academy of Cancer Sciences(2013), Foreign member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences(2014).

Pr Khaled Machaca

Associate Dean, Weill Cornell Medicine, Quatar

"It is unfathomable for us as scientists driven by rational reasoning not to fully support the advancement of women is science, as we would be giving away half of our collective brain power."

Khaled Machaca is Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine and serves as Associate Dean for Research for the Qatar campus since 2008. In that capacity he oversees the academic, financial, operational and compliance aspects of the research department, which currently encompasses 25 active Labs and a staff of over 200 people. Khaled oversaw the establishment of the administrative and regulatory infrastructure; centralized core laboratories; and faculty recruitment. He also serves as the designated institutional official overseeing the animal research program and as the director of the imaging core. He leads and serves on multiple institutional, national and international committees.

The Machaca Lab is interested in intracellular signaling processes under physiological and pathological conditions with a focus on calcium signaling. Our goal is to better define these signaling pathway at the cellular and molecular levels to better define the underlying biology and identify potential therapeutic targets in various disease states. Our interest is focused on cell cycle regulation in the context of cancer, hypertension, and immune cell activation. Work from the Machaca Lab has been published in leading biomedical journals and garnered continuous extramural funding from NIH and the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).

Khaled serves of several editorial boards, reviews widely for scientific journals and has an extensive track record of training students and postdoctoral fellows.

PR. PIERRE MONSAN

Professor Emeritus

Professor Emeritus, INSA Toulouse

"I am particularly pleased to contribute to l'Oréal's initiative as my closest associate for many years, with whom I shared the leadership of the enzymatic catalysis and molecular engineering team and who succeeded me , was a woman: Professor Magali Remaud-Simeon. I want to pay tribute, through her, to the importance and impressive efficiency and creativity of women in the field of scientific research."

Pierre Monsan (69) is Professor Emeritus at the National Institute for Applied Sciences (INSA) of the University of Toulouse. He was elected member of the French University Institute (IUF) in 2003 and re-elected in 2008.

He is Founding Director of the pre-industrial demonstrator “Toulouse White Biotechnology (TWB)”, which was granted M€ 20 within the frame of the French National Program “Investissement d’avenir” in March 2011 (www.toulouse-white-biotechnology.com).

He has been active for 44 years in the field of enzyme catalysis (enzyme production, purification, immobilization and application, screening, structural characterization and molecular design). He authored more than 240 scientific publications, 3 books and 65 patents. His H-factor is 44.

He was involved in the founding of several start-up companies: BioEurope (1984), BioTrade (1996), Genibio (1998) and in the move of LibraGen from Lyon to Toulouse (2004).

He is member of the Scientific Advisory Board of several companies, founding member of the French Academy of Technology, member of the French National Academy of Agriculture, member of several Scientific Societies and member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). He is Chairman of the French Federation of Biotechnology (FFBiotech), member of the Executive Board of the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB).

Pr Gilles Pécout

Rector of the Académie de Paris and of the Région Académique d’Ile de France, Chancellor of the Parisian Universities, University Professor.

“I think I have experience the advent of women as a matter. However, is it not an effect of the exact message of a story, which I have contributed to create? Then, thinking about it, I can see the frontiers of knowledge and powers keep on moving” Michelle Perrot (Historian)

Gilles Pécout is the Rector of Paris and the Academic Region of Ile de France as well as the Chancellor of Parisian Universities since September 2016. Historian, with a special focus on Italy and the Europe-Mediterranean region, Gilles Pécout is a university professor at the Ecole normale superieure of Paris where he used to be at the head of the Department of History. Furthermore, he is also director of studies at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes-PSL.

He was for several years guest professor and researcher at the University of Geneva and at the New York University (Institut Remarque) but also at the Istituto per gli studi filosofici of Naples. He also coordinated the European PhD (Marie Curie European doctorate “Building on the past”) with nine other European Universities.

Gilles Pécout hold seats at the Boards of Directors of the Musée de l’Armée (Invalides) and of the Souvenir français. He also hold seats at the Scientific Board of the Italian Encyclopedia and at the Toscane Academy, Società di storia patria of Florence (foreigners section). He was a jury member of the international award Dan David Prize (Israël / Etats-Unis) and was or is still member of the Scientific or Editorial committee of the reviews Le mouvement social, Histoire et sociétés rurales, European History Quarterly, Journal of Modern Italian Studies, Bollettino di Italiamistica, Società e storia, Memoria e ricerca.

Scientific advisor for the Italian television ((RAI 3 – RAI Storia) and author for the TV show II Tempo e la Storia et Passato Presente for around forty shows, Gilles Pécout is also the award winner of the World Price “Erasme” – Fondation Anassilao et of the Cavallini Price.

Gilles Pécout is one of the three French redactor appointed by the president of the French Republic in January 2018 to produce the cooperation treaty between France and Italy called “Traité du Quirinal” and have just been appointed in 2019 as the president of the French mission for prefiguration of the future Franco-tunisian University for Africa and the Mediterranean area.

As the Rector and Chancellor of Parisian University, he advocates the creation of a House of Science for professors, which will have a displayed priority “Girls and Science”.

Gilles Pécout is a Knight of the Legion of Honour, the French National Order of Merit, Officer of the Academic Palm and Officer of the National Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

Pr Antoine Petit

President and CEO of C.N.R.S

Antoine Petit obtained a Master Degree in Mathematics from University Paris Sud (1981) and then Agrégation de Mathématiques (1982). He received his PhD in Computer Science from Paris Diderot University (1985).

He joined University d’Orléans as « Assistant » in 1984, then University Paris Sud as « Maître de Conférences » in 1989. He became full Professor at ENS Paris - Saclay (formerly ENS de Cachan) in 1994 where he bas been head of the Computer science department from 1995 to 2001.

In 2002, he was appointed as Deputy director of the directorate of research of French ministry of research, in charge of mathematics and information and communication sciences. In 2004, he joined CNRS as Director of the Information and Communication Sciences and Technologies department and then as Regional Director for South West of France.

In 2006, he was recruited by Inria where he has been successively Director of the research center of Paris - Rocquencourt, deputy CEO in 2010 and then President and CEO in 2014.

Since January 2018, he is President and CEO of CNRS.

Antoine Petit is Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur and Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite.

Pr Pascal Picq

Paleoanthropologist, Collège de France

"Evolution is change in the feminine."

Pascal Picq is a paleoanthropologist at the Collège de France. His research focuses on the biological, social and technical evolution of the human lineage. After having introduced ethology in anthropology, he became involved in questions of society and ethics, for the defense of secularism, on politics and politics and innovation in relation to the entrepreneurial culture. His last essays are interested in the future of humanity between the collapse of diversities and the arrival of intelligent machines by analyzing the emergence of a new Anthropology in the Digital Age.

Pr Johan Rockström

Johan Rockström is an internationally recognized scientist for his work on global sustainability issues. He helped lead the internationally renowned team of scientists that presented the planetary boundaries framework, first published in 2009, with an update in 2015. The nine planetary boundaries presented in the framework are argued to be fundamental in maintaining a “safe operating space for humanity.” This framework has been embraced as an approach to sustainable development, and has been used to help guide governments, international organizations, NGOs, and companies considering sustainable development.

Before focusing on the planetary scale, Rockström’s research aimed to address building resilience in water scarce regions, and is an expert on water resources. After completing a PhD at Stockholm University’s Systems Ecology Department in 1997, he spent nearly two decades working on applied water research in tropical regions. He has also published research on with agriculture systems, land use, and ecosystem services.

Aside from his research helping to guide policy, Rockström acts as an advisor to several governments and business networks. He also acts as an advisor for sustainable development issues at noteworthy international meetings, such as the United Nations General Assemblies, World Economic Forums, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences (UNFCCC, also known as COP).

Pr Augusto Rojas-Martinez

Professor, School of Medicine, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico

Science and scientific achievements are built from the discussion and confrontation of different ideas, sometimes opposed. There are no other human attributes, out of the diversity of opinion, the freedom of thought and the experimental demonstration, that are essential for the scientific development in any part of the world. As in any other human activities, scientific thinking should be cultivated from the early ages in schools and laboratories that should ensure the free access of women and men. Additionally, our society, universities and research centers should warrant equal development opportunities and leadership positions without any other condition than demonstration of excellence in a personal scientific career. Unfortunately, we still cannot overcome gender inequities that have limited the access of excellent girls and women to the academy and scientific activities in all parts of the world, as well as the objective evaluation of their scientific production. As a citizen and scientist of the 21st century and member of the scientific academy of a developing country, I pledge to to strongly promote and maintain the participation of women in science in Mexico and Latin America.

Full-time Professor and Leader of the Research Group in Human Genetics in School of Medicine and Health Science, Tecnológico of Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico. Dr. Rojas-Martínez pioneered the implementation of clinical trials of gene and cell therapy in Mexico and Latin America. In addition, he has contributed to the delineation of some genetic diseases and the implementation of GWAS for cleft lip and palate and colorectal cancer in the Mexican population, as well as pharmacogenomics projects in the same population. He belongs to the Mexican System of Researchers, the Mexican Academy of Sciences, the Mexican Board of Genetics, and the Mexican Association of Human Genetics, in which he served as President. Dr. Rojas-Martínez was also the Coordinator of the Mexican Node of the Human Variome Project (2012 – 2017). He is Past-President of the Latin American Network of Human Genetics (RELAGH). He currently serves as member of the Scientific Committee of the Latin American School of Human Genetics (ELAG, Brazil, since 2008), the External Scientific Advisory Committee of CIBER-ER (Spain, since 2016) and as jury member of the “For Women in Science” Award (L' Oréal -UNESCO, since 2015). Dr. Rojas-Martínez has published 92 scientific articles and has a granted patent.

Pr François Taddei

Director, Center for Research and Interdisciplinary

"Because science and society need to mobilize all intelligences and all eyes."

François Taddei is a researcher in evolutionary systems biology and an expert on the future of research and education. He has created bachelor, master & PhD programs in the Center for Research and Interdisciplinary in Paris in order to empower the new generations of change makers by training them through research at the frontiers of disciplines. He has taken the lead of the Institute for Learning Through Research that has been selected in March 2012 by the International Scientific Committee of the National Innovative Training Program (IDEFI) of the French ministry of research. He participates in various working groups on the future of research and education (« France 2025 », OECD report…). He holds the UNESCO Chair “Learning sciences”. In September 2016 the mission to organise and think the future of R&D for Lifelong learning was entrusted to François Taddei by French Minister of Education, Higher Education & Research.

Manuel Tunon de Lara

President of the University of Bordeaux

“An inclusive, responsible university, open to society, welcoming and committed to its home region…

thereby obliging us to set even higher standards in carrying out our missions.”

Manuel Tunon de Lara studied medicine, immunology, physiology and life sciences. He then carried out research into the cellular mechanisms of asthma. He was a clinician in the respiratory diseases department of Bordeaux University Hospital, of which he then became director. Manuel Tunon de Lara became involved in the institutional aspects of Bordeaux Segalen University and from 1998 he ran the “Aquitaine Euskadi Navarre” cross-border network. In 2001 he set up the Department of European Affairs and International Relations before becoming Vice-President of the university responsible for international relations in 2003. He was elected president of Bordeaux Segalen University in 2008, then reelected in 2012. During his terms of office, he contributed actively to the Campus Operation project, led the project to set up the Bordeaux University Foundation and coordinated “Investment for the Future” projects, including the excellence initiative (IdEx) that was among the first three such projects to be accredited in France. Championing the values of a large, multidisciplinary, internationally-recognized university, Manuel Tunon de Lara led his establishment towards a merger with two other universities in the city thus creating the University of Bordeaux with his counterparts. In January 2014, he was elected the first president of the new establishment and, together with his team, set up what has become one of France’s top universities. Under his leadership, the University of Bordeaux was definitively “excellence initiative” accredited by an international jury in June 2016, and continues to energetically pursue the objective of becoming a great European university, while remaining anchored in the Aquitaine region. Manuel Tunon de Lara was reelected president of the University of Bordeaux on 18 January 2018.

A man of commitment and conviction, he is an Officer of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques, Chevalier of the National Order of Merit and Chevalier of the Order of the Legion of Honor.

Cédric Villani

Mathematician - Lyon 1 University, 2010 Fields Medal, Member of French Parliament

"It is not acceptable that only men are in charge of giving birth to the world of tomorrow."

Cédric Villani is a french mathematician and a former student of the Ecole normale supérieure. He received a doctorate in mathematics and he is the winner of the Fields Medal in 2010 and of the Doob price in 2014. He is now professor at the University of Lyon. He has been the director of Institut Henri Poincaré in Paris from 2009 to 2017. He has held various visiting positions at several foreign universities. He is Member of the National Assembly for the Fifth Constituency of the Essonne and he is vice-president of the OPECST (parliamentary office for scientific and technological options assessment ). He is member of the Academy of Sciences and has published several books, including Alive Theorem, which has been translated in 12 languages.

Pr Tom Welton

Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College London

"The time for men to realise that gender parity benefits everyone is long overdue. L’Oréal Foundation’s campaign will help to bring this about."

Professor Tom Welton, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College London and the world’s first Professor of Sustainable Chemistry, began his academic career with a B.Sc. at the University of Sussex followed by a D.Phil., in the Chemistry and Spectroscopy of Ionic Liquids.

After research positions at the University of Sussex and the University of Exeter he joined the Chemistry Department at Imperial College London in 1993 as a Lloyd’s of London Tercentenary Fellow. In 2002 he was awarded a Readership in Catalysis and undertook the role of Director of Undergraduate Studies in Chemistry. In 2004 he was promoted to Professor in Sustainable Chemistry. He was Head of the Chemistry Department from August 2007 to December 2014, during which time the Department achieved an Athena Swan Gold Award. He became Dean of the Faculty in January 2015.

Tom uses solvents to improve chemical processes. He has worked with ionic liquids throughout his career, in order to develop sustainable solvent technologies. The central academic aim of his research is to understand the role that the immediate chemical environments in which reacting species find themselves influence the reaction process. He also aims to use this understanding to provide more effective chemical processes by the matching of the reaction with its optimum solvent environment.

Tom is the author of over 100 papers, primarily on the structures and chemistry of ionic liquids and their solutes. He was the 2007 RSC Christopher Ingold Lecturer, the 2012 RSC Thomas Graham Lecturer, and the 2011 DFG Paul Walden Lecturer. He is an Honorary Member of the Chemical Society of Ethiopia. In June 2017 Tom was awarded an OBE for his services to diversity in education.

DR SABA AL HEIALY

HEALTH SCIENCES

Mohammed bin Rashid University for Medicine and Health Sciences

Asthma and obesity are increasing worldwide, as poor air quality and convenience lifestyles, characterised by unhealthy diets and physical inactivity, take their toll. Now, obesity is prompting a rise in the prevalence of asthma, with patients of this ‘responding poorly to conventional therapy, such as steroid treatment. Dr Saba Al Heilaly is researching the still relatively unknown mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, in order to help identify new therapies for patients. Recently, adipocytes (fat cells) are emerging as pro-inflammatory cells capable of secreting cytokines and hormones. Moreover, adipose tissue is infiltrated with large amounts of T cells. This potential immunomodulatory role of adipocytes has led her to explore the implications of the crosstalk between T cells- an essential part of the immune system - and adipocytes (fat cells) in producing steroid hyporesponsiveness in obese asthmatics. “Ultimately, the objective of my research is to contribute to the advancement in asthma research”, she says.

Dr Saba Al Heialy’s father, an accomplished researcher, was an important inspiration and mentor in her childhood, instilling in the young Saba “the core values and selfconfidence that have allowed me to become the researcher I am today”. At university, she gained valuable laboratory experience by taking ownership of an asthma and allergy project in the summer holidays, enjoying the sense of independence and deepening her curiosity in scientific research.

Despite her proven ability and enthusiasm, Dr Saba al Heialy has had to work doubly hard to overcome gender and age prejudice throughout her career. “For women to advance in science, we must challenge the perception that their work is in some way inferior to that of equally qualified male scientists”, she believes.

“Women could easily thrive in senior scientific roles – but they must be judged on merit and given equal opportunities in the workplace”, she says. To create change, young girls must be offered the opportunity to participate in practical, interactive science programmes, and be shown examples of successful women in the workplace. “I hope my story will inspire many girls and young women in the Middle East to pursue their scientific dreams and reach their full potential”, she concludes.

DNA

DR ZORHA DHOUAFLI

NEUROSCIENCE / BIOCHEMISTRY

Center of Biotechnology of Borj-Cédria

Alzheimer’s disease is considered to be the most common form of dementia globally, yet there is currently no cure for this devastating neurodegenerative disorder. Dr Zohra Dhouafli is researching the theory that the misfolding, aggregation and brain deposition of the amyloid-beta protein triggers the disease. Through her upcoming research project, she will use one of the most promising approaches - a natural antioxidant extracted from henna tree leaves (discovered through her previous research) to inhibit, interfere and counteract the aggregation process. Among the innovative aspects of the project, the team will seek to preserve the molecule’s stability and bioactivity, and optimise its passage through the blood brain barrier. In this way, Dr Zohra Dhouafli aims to catalyse the development of more potent compounds for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s.

“My dream is to find an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and improve quality of life for patients and their families”, she says.

Dr Zohra Dhouafli has always had an interest in biological sciences. Her longstanding focus on neurodegenerative diseases began during her first research experience in biochemistry at Sherbrooke University in Canada. Since then, she has participated in multiple international collaborations exploring the biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in such diseases.

“Women should have just as much responsibility in promoting human development as men”, she says. “Their actions must go hand in hand”, she adds, pointing to the famous collaboration of Pierre and Marie Curie. She believes that women scientists have a complementary approach to that of their male counterparts, driven more by empathy, patience and a sense of social responsibility.

Having benefitted significantly from mentorship, Dr Zohra Dhouafli agrees that talented mentors stand to inspire many more young women scientists, reinforced by far greater public recognition women scientists’ achievements. “An equal gender balance would greatly enhance the quality of scientific research”, she concludes.

DR MENATTALLAH ELSERAFY

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY / GENETICS

Zewail City of Science and Technology

DNA is the blueprint for life. The valuable information it carries decides the fate of all organisms. Dr Menattallah Elserafy is researching DNA repair mechanisms to advance understanding of the fundamental processes in mammalian cells. She and her research team could identify new players that protect the cells from DNA damage. She aslo discovered that a protein in yeast cells is involved in preventing DNA damage caused by ribonucleotides misincorporation into the genome. Thereby, mutations in the human protein could be associated with diseases, neurological disorders and cancers. Her findings could help identify new disease-causing mutations, aid diagnosis and pave the way for personalised therapies according to the patient’s genetic background.

Dr Menattallah Elserafy early became passionate about molecular biology and genetics. “I wanted to create a positive impact in society”, she recalls. Today, she is convinced that raising research standards in Egypt could put her country “back on the map of scientific research”, and importantly, play a major role in solving pressing water, environmental and energy challenges.

According to her, gender equality should be a key focus for children’s education, with girls encouraged to “dream big and aim high”. Dr Menattallah Elserafy is inspired by many women scientists, including the first ever female doctor, an Egyptian woman living in 2700 BC, and Rosalind Franklin, the woman scientist who first presented an X-ray structure of the DNA molecule.

She herself is contributing to educating future generations of women scientists by supporting younger researchers in the laboratory. “I believe the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Rising Talents fellowship will give me even more opportunities to talk to young women scientists and inspire them to make a difference”, she says.

DR PRISCILLA KOLIBEA MANTE

NEUROSCIENCE

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Expanding access to affordable, high quality medical care in Africa is a major focus for sustainable development. Specialising in neuropharmacology and neuroscience, Dr Priscilla Kolibea Mante is researching alternative, plant-based therapeutic options to manage drug-resistant epilepsy and the neglected tropical disease, neurocysticercosis. She is currently exploring the anticonvulsant activity of the plant alkaloid cryptolepine and its solid-lipid nanoparticles in the management of neurocysticercosis-induced epilepsy.

By identifying a way to help cryptolepine permeate more efficiently into the central nervous system, the risk of convulsion should be reduced, helping the patient to manage their condition as effectively as possible.

“It’s very rewarding to know that my research could significantly alter complicated structures like the brain and positively affect people’s lives”, she says.

Dr Priscilla Kolibea Mante believes the biggest challenge for women in science is managing negative perceptions of ambition in women and overcoming gender stereotypes. Having faith in the future, she is convinced that her generation has been fortunate to receive strong support, and believe women can tap into that and spearhead our careers to higher levels. “The world will make room for us”, she says. “The more women push for senior roles, the harder it will be to ignore them.”

The expert guidance of both men and women throughout her career has been so important that Dr Priscilla Kolibea Mante now considers herself a “champion” of mentorship, regularly supporting younger scientists in pursuing their dreams. She concludes: “Sometimes it’s important to hold your mentee’s hand and guide them towards opportunities they never knew existed.”

DR SHERRY AW

NEUROSCIENCE

Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology

Neurodegeneration is a growing issue for an ageing global population. Dr Sherry Aw is conducting genetic experiments in fruit flies to understand the causes behind neurodegenerative diseases, and support the development of novel treatments. In particular, by exploring how certain cells become affected and the functional results of their degeneration, she and her team have been able to pinpoint movement dysfunctions that resemble the effects of Parkinson’s disease and Spinocerebellar ataxia 3 in humans. Her current goal is to understand how the tremor and other movement disorders experienced by sufferers of these diseases are generated at the physiological, cellular and molecular levels.

“So that we can start to develop rational treatments for these debilitating symptoms, and eventually cure these diseases”, she says.

Her passion for scientific research was sparked when one of her university tutors suggested that she gain some practical research experience. Since then, she has always had strong – male – mentors who encouraged her to recognise and believe in her abilities.

As a woman in science, Dr Sherry Aw says: “Society generally judges women more harshly than men, and I believe this is a major barrier to women achieving our maximum potential. Women face a lot of pressure from everyone, including from ourselves.”

To create the next generation of women scientists, girls must see women in science as a mainstream trend, Dr Sherry Aw believes. This starts with strong mentors and role models, and more exposure to women scientists in the media, including through initiatives such as the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme. “Only then will we be attracting the best and brightest minds, of both genders, to solve the world’s most important scientific problems”, she concludes.

DR MIKA NOMOTO

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY / PLANT PATHOLOGY

Nagoya University

When plants become infected with biotrophic pathogens (fungi that feed on the living cells of their hosts), host resistance proteins trigger an acute immune response, including the eventual death of the affected cell. The infected tissues also produce signals that spark the accumulation of immune hormone salicyclic acid and mobilise antimicrobial pathogenesis-related genes within the uninfected distal leaves. This plant-specific immunity is known as systemic acquired resistance (SAR). While it is effective in resisting biotrophs, it suppresses the plant’s resistance response to herbivores, thereby exposing it to damage from pests. Dr Mika Nomoto is researching how SAR is regulated at a molecular level in order to better understand its antagonistic interaction with herbivore resistance and help promote sustainable pest management.

“I realised that by elucidating the molecular mechanism of plant immunity, I would be able to contribute towards ensuring food security for the world’s population”, she recalls. “That’s why I decided to pursue a career in science.”

Growing up in southern Japan, Dr Mika Nomoto was surrounded by a rich and diverse natural environment. She loved to study plants, flowers and insects, and became intrigued by different plants’ reaction to mould and microbes. When she began her biology studies at Kagawa University, she was surprised to learn that plants possess sophisticated immune systems, like humans.

While she has not experienced the “glass ceiling” in her career, Dr Mika Nomoto agrees there is a pressing need for more women scientists. “I believe that science needs diversity and women are the key to advancing science”, she says. “It’s vital that we persuasively transform perceptions of women’s role in society through media and politics.”

Finally, mentorship is invaluable, Dr Mika Nomoto believes. She herself has gained a great deal of knowledge from her mentors, including how to establish a venture company and apply for patents, as well as conduct world-leading scientific research. “In the future, I’d be happy to mentor young researchers – both women and men”, she concludes.

DR JACQUILINE ROMERO

QUANTUM PHYSICS

University of Queensland

Dr Jacquiline Romero is a physicist working in the field of quantum physics, which explains the nature and behaviour of matter and energy at the atomic and subatomic level. In particular, she is exploring how an infinite number of possible shapes of photos - particles of light - can be used to encode information. Ultimately, this could lead to reliably secure communication, help conserve data privacy and guard against the growing risk of cyberattacks, and deliver more powerful computation.

Her journey to pushing the boundaries of quantum information began in the Philippines, where she was encouraged by her school teachers to pursue science, even participating in national physics competitions. “It was just beautiful to me, how the rules of physics can describe the natural world so powerfully”, she recalls. “I enjoy the creative and problem solving process. The fun I have is really the reward!” At university, Dr Jacquiline Romero joined an established optics research group, before identifying an opportunity to pursue an experimental quantum physics PhD at the University of Glasgow.

As part of a minority of women in quantum science, she believes improving the representation of women in science requires a fundamental cultural change, starting at school, where girls’ and boys’ sense of wonder and curiosity should be equally nurtured. In addition to mentorship, strong female role models at every stage of the scientific career path would send positive signals to aspiring women scientists, she suggests. Importantly, inclusivity and gender diversity should be framed in the context of productivity, with leaders creating the supportive environment that would help women scientists return to peak professional performance after having a child.

“Winning a L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science fellowship has given me a national platform to show that women, particularly mothers, can succeed in science”, she concludes. “People are inspired by stories and I think my journey is a story that could do so much to inspire young girls and young women scientists.”

If science could achieve anything, Dr Jacquiline Romero would like to scientific research to help solve the major social inequalities that exist in our world.

DR LAURA ELO

BIOINFORMATICS

University of Turku/Åbo Akademi University

Dr Laura Elo leads a multidisciplinary team of 30 scientists at the Turku Medical Bioinformatics Centre in Finland. Together, they develop computational data analysis tools and mathematical modelling methods to identify more reliable early indicators of complex diseases such as type 1 diabetes or cancer, and predict potential disease and treatment outcomes. She and her team have developed several powerful computational models to interpret molecular and clinical data in a robust way, working closely with experimental and clinical teams and unique sample biobanks. Her ultimate goal is to help improve disease diagnosis, prognosis and lead to new treatment strategies with high potential for breakthrough findings and wide impact on medical research. “I hope our research helps future patients to get the best possible treatments”, she says. “If we can improve the life of even a single patient, it is worth the effort.”

Among the challenges faced by researchers, she believes the extensive competition for funding can be both unhealthy for the field of scientific research and create barriers to progress. “Within my group, I hope to encourage enthusiasm for making new discoveries through openness and communication”, she explains.

As Research Director, Dr Laura Elo recognises the distinct benefits that diversity brings to any team, commenting that “a good mix of people with different backgrounds and ways of working ensures open-minded and innovative research”. Proving her worth as a woman scientist has seen her work harder than her male counterparts, she believes. Yet her achievements are undeniable: Dr Laura Elo became Head of Turku University’s Medical Bioinformatics Centre, Research Director and Vice Director of her research institute below the age of 40. Empowering more women to follow in her footsteps will require helping women build confidence, enabling an effective work-life balance, and ensuring strong mentorship throughout their careers.

On receiving a L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Regional Fellowship Finland, she says: “It’s a great honour. I’d particularly like to thank my enthusiastic and talented research group, our collaborators, and all our supporters.”

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DR BIOLA MARĺA JAVIERRE MARTĺNEZ

GENOMICS

Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute

The majority of interactions between the regulatory elements of a genome and the corresponding regulated gene are uncharted, a major missing link in understanding genome control. Dr Biola María Javierre Martínez is researching chromatin interactions (crucial to cellular health), to help improve knowledge of tumour processes and provide new opportunities for diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, she is exploring the physical interactions between gene and regulatory elements to connect blood cancer genetic alterations to putative target genes. This could help prioritising new diseasecandidate genes and pathways, reveal insights into the genomic regulatory mechanisms underlying cancer. It will also help to better predict patient outcomes and design improved and more personalised treatments.

Today, her dream is to help uncover more effective, gentler treatments for cancer, particularly for children.

As a scientist and mother, Dr Biola María Javierre Martínez often feels that she has insufficient time to give of her best in either capacity. Addressing this common challenge among women scientists and empowering more women to participate in science would mean re-educating the whole of society, she believes. Women must also develop greater self-belief and learn to present their work more confidently.

Dr Biola María Javierre Martínez sees mentors as essential on this journey, and is involved in a European Union project, the LIBRA Career Developmental Compass, to enable female postdoctoral fellows to become leaders through training and mentorship.

Commenting on the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme, she says: “It’s vital to encourage women who dream of being scientists to succeed and not to clip their wings. We are women, mothers and scientists, and all this must be compatible.”

DR KIRSTEN JENSEN

MATERIAL CHEMISTRY / STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

University of Copenhagen

Material chemistry has played a significant role in advancing technologies used to convert or store energy, such as batteries, solar cells and catalysts. Its strength is in forging an understanding of the relationship between material synthesis and the structure and properties of materials. Dr Kirsten Jensen is exploring the potential of tailoring nanomaterials to optimise the efficiency of energy technologies. This starts with determining their atomic structure on the nanoscale. She and her research group at the University of Copenhagen are achieving this by using the latest high energy x-ray and neutron scattering tools, helping to both advance sustainable energy and the field of nanoscience itself.

“Chemistry is everywhere”, she says. “I find it fascinating that by considering matter on an atomic level, we can understand the properties of everything around us and design molecules or crystal structures for new applications.”

Progressing from roles as PhD student and postdoc to assistant professor in 2015 brought huge responsibilities, but Dr Kirsten Jensen remained undeterred, adopting a positive attitude that enabled her to succeed. She acknowledges that she is fortunate to work in Scandinavia, where equal opportunities for men and women are fairly well established. However, the majority of her senior colleagues are still men, which she believes may be due to the challenges in balancing e.g. family life with the highly demanding nature of senior research roles, making more women seek careers outside of academia. Creating a better gender balance will mean re-imagining the system, promoting inclusive networking and cultivating strong mentors (male or female) who inspire and encourage young, talented female scientists.

As a women scientist who has never considered her opportunities as anything less than equal to her male counterparts’, Dr Kirsten Jensen concludes: “I don’t want to be seen as a female scientist, just as a scientist.”

DR URTE NENISKYTE

NEUROSCIENCE

Vilnius University

The complexity of the human brain has yet to be fully understood. Dr Urte Neniskyte is researching how our brains develop in early childhood (6 months to 6 years), with particular reference to anomalies that can lead to serious mental illness. She is currently exploring why excessive synapses sometimes remain, rather than being removed or “pruned” for optimum efficiency. Aberrations in this “synaptic pruning” process can result in neurodevelopmental diseases such as autism, schizophrenia and epilepsy. Dr Urte Neniskyte’s aims to uncover what determines which synapses should be maintained and which should be removed, and how the process could be modified to correct any errors, before a disease can develop.

“There is a philosophical question over whether a system, like the human brain, can understand itself”, she says. “We might not be able to capture everything, but I want to get as close as we can and I’m happy to be contributing to this endeavour.”

Born into a family of chemists, Dr Urte Neniskyte has viewed life through the prism of science from an early age. “The first images I saw of bacterial plates sparked my passion to be a researcher of living things”, she says.

As a mother of a young daughter and a neuroscientist,

Dr Urte Neniskyte is acutely aware of the importance of early childhood development. “We must raise our sons and daughters to take equal responsibilities in the home and value both women’s and men’s careers”, she says. This includes educating children on gender equality from an early age.

To increase the number of women in science, she believes women scientists must gain the public recognition they deserve for their discoveries. She is unequivocal: “We must stop living in “pink and blue” world and acknowledge that gender-based divisions arise from the traditions of the society rather than how the brain works.”

PR NURCAN TUNCBAG

BIOINFORMATICS

Middle East Technical University

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, according to the World Health Organization*, and its prevalence is rising sharply. To address the inherent complexity and heterogeneity of cancer, developing personalised therapeutic strategies is crucial. Pr Nurcan Tuncbag is leading an interdisciplinary research project to deliver a “precision medicine” approach by leveraging sophisticated computational analysis to interpret the increasing volumes of data obtained with high-throughput technologies. Analysing this “big data” could help to identify potential synergies, and reveal how biological pathways are organised and altered at molecular level in cancer, as well as how these networks can be targetted to disrupt the abnormal signals for treatment.

The field of bioinformatics has allowed Pr Nurcan Tuncbag to combine her biological interest in diseases with her mathematical prowess and passion for engineering.

“I was lucky that all my mentors were supportive of gender equity in science”, she recalls. However, as a woman, she still comes across barriers within the scientific community, when she sometimes feels obliged to prove her expertise or knowledge to male attendees, despite being equally qualified.

To empower women scientists and help achieve the necessary diversity to advance engineering sciences,

Pr Nurcan Tuncbag believes that far greater emphasis should be placed on science, technology, engineering and mathematics at schools, starting from an early age.

“Throughout history, women have influenced society and changed the world through their scientific discoveries”, she concludes. “By enhancing the visibility of women scientists, the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme will enable more women to contribute valuable discoveries to our world.”

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DR MARIA MOLINA

CHEMISTRY / MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

National University of Rio Cuarto

Antibiotics revolutionised medicine and have since saved many human lives, significantly slowing mortality rates associated with common infectious diseases. Yet the widespread overuse of these once powerful drugs has led to increasing bacterial resistance, creating a serious risk that people could once again lose their lives to common infections and minor injuries. In the race against time to uncover a solution, scientists including Dr Maria Molina are developing antimicrobial therapies as a potential alternative treatment for bacterial infections. Her work focuses on developing multifunctional nanogels capable of releasing antibiotics to bacteria (notably P. Aeruginosa) in synergy with a thermal effect created via electromagnetic radiation.

As a child, Dr Maria Molina dreamt of making a famous discovery that could solve a great human challenge, propelling her into the school text books. Committed to conducting research that improves people’s quality of life, she still dreams of scientists uncovering solutions to other pressing issues, including expanding access to safe water and life-saving medicines in developing countries.

Dr Maria Molina perceives that women scientists face an inherent inequality: to succeed at work while undertaking a disproportionate share of household responsibilities, they must be more efficient than men and naturally adept at multi-tasking. This becomes more problematic at the higher echelons of science, where heavy time commitments and inflexibility are the norm.

Empowering more women to undertake excellent scientific careers is vital. “The contribution of women scientists creates a diverse vision that is invaluable in addressing the great challenges facing humanity”, she says. Overturning social stereotypes and entrenched perceptions must begin at school, Dr Maria Molina believes. “Girls should be encouraged to follow their interests rather than conforming to what people expect”, she says. Strong female role models are important, as are programmes that promote women in science, such as the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme.

DR ANA SOFIA VARELA

CHEMISTRY / ELECTROCATALYSIS

Institute of chemistry, National Autonomous University of Mexico

Carbon capture stands to play an important role in fighting climate change. Dr Ana Sofia Varela is using electrocatalysis to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into useful products, in a process known as CO2 electroreduction. In generating this type of reaction, she uses electricity as a driving force and is exploring diverse catalysts, with a particular focus on new types of inexpensive catalysts comprised of abundant elements (carbon, nitrogen and transition metals). Affordability is central to the economic and technological viability of the process. Ultimately, CO2 electroreduction will allow the use of renewable electricity and waste CO2 to produce carbon-based chemicals (carbon and hydrocarbons).

“My dream is to help avert climate change and its negative impacts”, she says. “I hope that CO2 capture and utilisation will prove to be a key solution, alongside the development of clean energies and energy efficient technologies.”

Both Dr Ana Sofia Varela’s parents are chemists, and encouraged her childhood curiosity in the world, providing science-based answers to her questions. Years later, as a fully fledged scientist, Dr Ana Sofia Varela returned to Mexico, after completing her PhD and postdoctoral studies in Europe, to face the harsh reality of doing more with less funding. Nevertheless, she began her own research group and equipped her laboratory, an effort that has been significantly advanced by her L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Regional Fellowship.

While more women are undertaking scientific careers,

Dr Ana Sofia Varela believes they still risk not being taken seriously in a male-dominated field. “Women have to prove their value, while men’s is taken for granted, and take care not to overstep the boundary between assertive and aggressive, particularly in seeking senior roles”, she says. “This must change, as greater diversity in science will allow us to develop multiple approaches to the challenges facing humanity.”

DR JACQUELYN CRAGG

HEALTH SCIENCES

University of British Columbia

The global burden of neurological diseases has grown substantially over the past 25 years*, as the world population expands and ages. Dr Jacquelyn Cragg is using statistical algorithms to better understand the progression of such diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal cord injury. She is leveraging “big data” sources and machine-based learning to identify novel, reliable predictors of disease progression, and understand how diverse factors interact to predict long-term outcomes. She aims be a leader in neuro-analytics, helping to uncover innovative treatment strategies and therapies for people suffering with neurological diseases.

“Growing up, I had great teachers whose dedication and willingness to answer my questions allowed me to pursue my passion for mathematics and biology”, she says. Encouraged by teachers to enter mathematics competitions, explore lateral thinking at “Challenge Camps” and attend science fairs, Dr Jacquelyn Cragg developed a strong knowledge of maths, statistics and science, creating a robust foundation for her future career. She continued to benefit from supportive mentors at the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries in Vancouver, Harvard University and Balgrist University Hospital in Zurich.

Dr Jacquelyn Cragg perceives major challenges for women in science. Despite the evidence that men and women have the same inherent scientific ability, she believes there are clear differences in the way that raw ability is nurtured over time, with distinct gender biases creeping in. “Overcoming gender stereotypes and encouraging girls to grow their interest in science should start from an early age”, she concludes. “Girls and boys must know that everyone can do the same things.”