Five outstanding women would be honoured with the L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science award on March 19. Organised by The L’Oreal Foundation and UNESCO, the awards recognise the women scientists for their considerable talent, choice of an unusual career path in a male-dominated arena and commitment to their profession. Europe’s Professor Brigitte Kieffer for her contribution to neurobiology; North America’s Professor Laurie Glimcher and Professor Kayo Inaba from Asia/Pacific for their work in Immunology and Medicine; Latin American, Professor Cecilia Bouzat for her research in Biophysics; and Dr Segenet Kelemu from Africa and the Arab States for her research in Biology and Plant Pathology are the recipients of the L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science awards this year.
Prior to the awards ceremony, the five laureates and fifteen International Fellows will address a press conference to be held at 14 rue Royale in Paris, wherein the findings of a report on the current status of women in science will also be revealed. The report, compiled by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) for the L’Oreal Foundation, highlights the under representation of women in scientific professions and reveals that there has been only marginal improvement in the situation over the past 10 years.
| Winners of L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards 2014 |
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Designation: Professor, University of Strasbourg, France; Research Director, Institut de Genetique et de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkrich, France; Scientific Director, Douglas Institute Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, Canada Area of excellence – Neurobiology Prof Kieffer is being honoured for her decisive work on the brain mechanisms involved in pain, mental illness and drug addiction. In 1992, she was the first to clone and isolate the gene for an opioid receptor in the brain that plays a key role in alleviating pain, a puzzle which scientists around the world had been attempting to solve for the previous 15 years. Her findings led the way to new treatments for fighting pain, addiction and depression. Designation: Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, US; Provost for Medical Affairs, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, US. Area of excellence – Immunology and Medicine Prof Glimcher is a pioneer and leader in the field of immunology. She is being honoured for discovering key factors involved in controlling immune response (T-bet) in allergies and in autoimmune, infectious and malignant diseases. Her findings are paving the way for the development of new treatments for allergies, asthma, multiple sclerosis, childhood diabetes and cancer. Designation: Member of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires; Professor, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahia Bianca; Deputy Director, Institute of Biochemical Research of Bahia Bianca (INIBIBB), Argentina Area of excellence – Biophysics Prof Bouzat is an international leader in neurotransmitter pharmacology. She is being honoured for her contribution to our understanding of how brain cells communicate among themselves and with muscles. Her discoveries enabled the identification of the communications problem between the brain and muscles that causes major neurological disorders. Prof. Bouzat’s work has opened the door to potential new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, depression and certain addictive behaviours. Designation: Professor, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Japan; Vice-President for Gender Equality and Director of the Center for Women Researchers, Kyoto University, Japan Area of excellence – Immunology and Medicine Prof Inaba is being honoured for her critical discoveries concerning the mechanisms triggered by the immune system when it is faced with a threat such as a virus or bacteria or by abnormal cells such as cancer cells. Specialised in the study of dendritic cells, Prof. Inaba was the first scientist to prove that these cells could be treated outside the body and then reintroduced into the organism to stimulate immune system response. Her discovery marked a turning point in cellular therapy and has already led to a new type of anti-cancer treatment. Designation: Director General, International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Nairobi, Kenya. Area of excellence – Biology and Plant Pathology Dr Segenet Kelemu is being honoured for her research on how microorganisms living in symbiosis with forage grasses can improve their capacity to resist disease and adapt to environmental and climate change. Her work is providing new solutions for ecologically responsible food crop production, especially by local, small-scale farmers. |
It will held on the evening of March 19 at the Sorbonne in Paris, The L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science 2014 Awards Ceremony will be presided over by Professor Guenter Blobel, Nobel Prize in Medicine. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, Jean-Paul Agon, Chairman and CEO of L’Oreal and Chairman of the L’Oreal Foundation, will be in attendance. Since 1998, The L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards has recognised more than 2,000 women around the globe for their contribution to major scientific advancements that help tackle some of greatest challenges of the society, including cancer, depression and addiction.
EP News Bureau – Mumbai