On November 9, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) honored five female scientists from various regions around the world for their outstanding achievements in scientific research in 2011.
These scientists will receive the L’ORÉAL-UNESCO Awards.
The L’ORÉAL-UNESCO Awards, established in 1998, are a joint initiative by the United Nations and the cosmetics company L’Oréal, providing a prize of $100,000 for the most distinguished female scientists each year. Winners are selected from over 1,000 female scientists by an independent international jury composed of renowned scientists.
The female scientists honored this year include South African scientist Jill Farrant, Australian scientist Ingrid Scheffer, British scientist Frances Ashcroft, Mexican representative Susana López, and American scientist Bonnie Bassler.
British scientist Frances Ashcroft is one of the five female
scientists honored this year.
The research fields of the female scientists awarded the L’ORÉAL-UNESCO in 2011 are quite broad and diverse.
Ms. Farrant succeeded in discovering mechanisms that allow plants to survive in drought conditions. Ms. López found out how rotaviruses cause the deaths of 600,000 children worldwide each year.
Meanwhile, British scientist Ashcroft achieved advancements in understanding insulin secretion mechanisms and a rare severe form of diabetes.
Research by scientist Scheffer identified genes related to certain forms of epilepsy, while expert Bassler made significant strides in studies about chemical communication among microorganisms.
Since 1998, the L’ORÉAL-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science have honored 72 outstanding female scientists for their notable successes in scientific research, including two female scientists who have won the Nobel Prize.
To encourage women to participate in scientific research, UNESCO and L’ORÉAL have established a partnership to develop a global network of national, regional, and international scholarship programs aimed at supporting young female scientists in pursuing research careers.
This network has awarded scholarships to over 1,200 female scientists in 103 countries worldwide.
