L’Oréal-UNESCO International Award

For Women in Science empowers brilliant women scientists by rewarding and promoting their outstanding research and raising their profile at a global level.

Rewarding outstanding women scientists

The For Women in Science International program functions at multiple levels in order to reach women at all stages of their scientific careers and support them in overcoming the obstacles that too often prevent women from becoming senior researchers. This starts with our International For Women in Science program, which honours five brilliant female scientists each year for their remarkable contribution to advancing research, promoting their work globally and empowering them to act as role models for aspiring women scientists and future generations.

137 international Laureates since 1998.

Laureate L'Oréal-UNESCO International Award

An international, highly respected scientific jury selects our five laureates from hundreds of nominees, recognising their distinguished achievements on a global scale. We reward researchers in Life and Environmental Sciences, and Physical Science, Mathematics and Computer Science in alternate years. To support women-led scientific excellence in addressing societal needs worldwide, we select one Laureate from each of the five major continents: Africa and the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America. Each Laureate receives €100,000 to further her research, together with media training and extensive media opportunities to raise her profile within the international scientific community and the general public.

Seven of our 137 international Laureates have received Nobel Prizes for Science:Elizabeth H. Blackburn (1995 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine), Ada Yonath (2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry), Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna (2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry), Anne L'Huillier (2023 Nobel Prize in Physics), Katalin Karikó (2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine) and Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard (1995 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine).

Laureates 2024

Laureate for Africa and the Arab States

Professor Rose Leke

Former Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Former Director of the Biotechnology Center, University of Yaounde 1, Cameroon

Rewarded for her dedicated leadership, outstanding research and pioneering efforts to improve outcomes in pregnancy-associated malaria and support of polio eradication and improved immunization in Africa, as well as efforts to improve the career path of young scientists. Doctor Leke’s national, regional, and global influence has profoundly impacted public health in her native Cameroon and across Africa. Her achievements position her as a role model, leading educator and advocate for young women scientists.
LAUREATE FOR EUROPE

Professor Geneviève Almouzni

Director of Research from The National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) at the Curie Institute, Member of the Academy of Sciences, France.

Rewarded for her seminal contributions to understanding how DNA is packaged with proteins inside the cell nucleus. Her pioneering work in epigenetics has been instrumental in understanding how cell identity is determined during normal development and disrupted by cancer. Her extraordinary successes in advancing world-leading research, training the next generation of scientists and promoting women in science are inspirational.
LAUREATE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Professor Nieng Yan

University Professor, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Founding President of Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation, Director of Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, China

Rewarded for discovering the atomic structure of multiple membrane proteins that mediate the traffic of ions and sugars across the cell membrane, revealing principles governing membrane transport. Her exceptional research has informed multiple disorders like epilepsy and arrhythmia and guided the treatment of pain syndrome. As a leading authority in her field, Doctor Yan inspires women scientists globally and is a strong advocate for gender equality in research and science education.
LAUREATE FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Professor Alicia Kowaltowski

Professor of Biochemistry, University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Rewarded for her fundamental contribution to the biology of mitochondria, which are “the cell’s main energy source, acting as their batteries”. Her work has been critical in understanding the implication of energy metabolism in chronic diseases, including obesity and diabetes, as well as in ageing. Her outstanding contribution as an investigator and mentor as well as her advocacy for science in Latin America and its dissemination to the public are inspirational for young scientists.
LAUREATE FOR NORTH AMERICA

Professor Nada Jabado

Professor, Departments of Pediatrics and Human Genetics, Canada Research Chair Tier 1 in Pediatric Oncology, McGill University, Canada.

Rewarded for revolutionizing our comprehension of the genetic defects responsible for aggressive pediatric brain tumours. Her seminal discovery of the first-ever histone mutations in human disease, referred to as oncohistones, sparked a fundamental change in the cancer research sphere. Through her innovative research and effective leadership in establishing a global collaborative network, she has reshaped the medical approach to pediatric cancer, advancing both diagnostic capabilities and clinical treatments for young patients.

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The jury

Each year, an international highly respected scientific jury selects the five Laureates of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Award from hundreds of nominees, recognizing their distinguished achievements on a global scale.

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