The L'Oréal Foundation, in partnership with UNESCO, celebrated the 20th "For Women in Science" Awards on October 7th at the Academy of Sciences. The event honored 35 young researchers, doctoral and postdoctoral students, including 13 alumnae from 11 different nationalities, for their work across all research sectors.
Established in 2007, the award aims to support female researchers "at a pivotal moment in their careers" whose work addresses "the major scientific challenges of tomorrow." It highlights the persistent under-representation of women in scientific careers, where they constitute only one-third of global researchers and 22% of AI professionals, according to UNESCO data.
Selected from nearly 820 candidates, the 35 laureates for the 2026 edition were chosen by a jury of 50 members from the Academy of Sciences. Their research spans crucial themes such as sustainable development, artificial intelligence, space exploration, and medicine, demonstrating "remarkable expertise" in diverse fields including biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, engineering, and Earth and space sciences.
Thirteen of the laureates are "alumnae" from 11 different nationalities, having completed all or part of their studies in France. Their work falls into several thematic sections: "Innovating for a Sustainable Future" (Qianwen Tan, Kadidiatou Touré), "Preserving the Planet" (Irene Calderón Sanou, Malika Gottstein), "AI and Modeling, Anticipating and Shaping the Future" (Anne Josiane Kouam, Dhekra Mahmoud, Laura Pecorari), "Understanding the Laws of the Universe" (Kirsty Feijen, Claudia Rella, Irene Urso), "Developing Future Therapies" (Katharina Zimmeter), and "Understanding Human Health" (Flora Paldi, Kate Sorg).
