L’Oréal-UNESCO International Awards
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 them 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.
142 international Laureates since 1998.
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: Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard (1995 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine), Elizabeth H. Blackburn (2005 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 .
Laureates 2026
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LAUREATE FOR AFRICA AND THE ARAB STATES
Professor Liesl Zühlke, Cardiac and Cardiovascular systems
Professor at the University of Cape Town & Vice President of the South African Medical Research Council, South Africa.
Rewarded for improving care for children with heart conditions especially rheumatic heart disease (RHD) that disproportionately affects children living in poverty. Prof. Zuhlke’s research repositioned RHD as a socio-political issue tied to health system deficiencies and inequities. Her dedication to scientific excellence, leadership in global health, and capacity building activities have improved the lives of vulnerable children with cardiovascular disease.
![Liesl Zühlke]()
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![Felice Jacka]()
LAUREATE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
Professor Felice Jacka, Psychiatry
Deakin Distinguished Professor, OAM, and Director of the Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University, Australia
Rewarded for establishing the field of nutritional psychiatry. Professor Jacka’s research unravels the complex relationship between diet and mental and brain health and recognises diet and nutrition as risk factors for mental disorders. Her leadership in training, providing evidence-based resources to professionals and the public, has transformed how mental health is understood and care practiced globally.
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LAUREATE FOR EUROPE
Professor Sarah A. Teichmann, Cell Biology
FMedSci FRS, Chair in Stem Cell Medicine at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Rewarded for her outstanding interdisciplinary research using genome science and computational biology to understand the human body at single cell resolution. Professor Teichmann’s pioneering work in single-cell technologies provides fundamental resources for biomedical research, drug discovery, and public health. She is an inspiring role model, an advocate for inclusion in science, and a leading educator.
![Sarah Teichmann]()
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![Raquel Chan]()
LAUREATE FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Professor Raquel Lia Chan, Agricultural biotechnology
Superior Researcher at CONICET; Professor at the National University of Litoral (UNL); Director of the Litoral Agrobiotechnology Institute (CONICET-UNL), Argentina
Rewarded for transforming fundamental plant biology into agricultural innovation through her discovery of genes and biological mechanisms that enhance plant tolerance to changing environments. Professor Chan translated this knowledge into drought-tolerant wheat, maize, rice, and soybean varieties, contributing to global food security. She is a visionary leader and devoted mentor who has trained a future generation of plant scientists.
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LAUREATE FOR NORTH AMERICA
Professor Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, Bioengineering
University Professor, Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University, USA
Rewarded for her pioneering work in human tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Professor Vunjak-Novakovic’s exceptional contributions in developing “organs-on-a-chip” and biological substitutes to repair, maintain or improve tissue function have been instrumental in recapitulating organ physiology. Her outstanding track record as an innovator, educator, and role model for women in science and engineering is inspirational.
DISCOVER PREVIOUS LAUREATES![Gordana Vunjak Novakovic]()
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.
DISCOVER THE JURY
