L’Oréal Names Women in Science Fellowship Winners

L'Oréal USA has announced the recipients of the 2019 For Women in Science (FWIS) Fellowship, which annually awards five female postdoctoral scientists grants of $60,000 each to advance their research. This is the 16th year of the program, which to date has recognized 80 postdoctoral female scientists with over $4 million since 2003.

The For Women in Science program provides funding and support during a critical time in female scientists' careers. Although the number of women in science is increasing, there remains a “leaky pipeline,” with significant career drop-off happening during the years between postdoc and tenure track. In addition to grant funding, fellows receive mentorship, media training, career coaching and recognition, said L’Oréal.

The 2019 For Women in Science fellows are being honored for their important research across a wide range of fields, from neuroscience to paleoceanography:

Aparna Bhaduri, whose research in neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco focuses on understanding the different cell types that make up the human brain and how specific cell types are targeted in glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, as well as a range of neurodegenerative diseases. 

Laurie Bizimana, whose research in biomedical engineering at Cornell University is working toward developing an innovative, non-invasive technique for harnessing signals from the brain, with the goal of restoring functions lost due to neurological disorders, comas, paralysis and even loss of limbs. 

Samantha Bova, whose research in paleoceanography at Rutgers University studies past changes to Earth's climate in order to improve our current knowledge of how Earth will respond to future climate perturbations. 

Lisa Poulikakos, whose research in materials science and engineering at Stanford University is focused on advancing technology that can enable on-the-spot, accurate and cost-effective diagnosis of tissue biopsies, including breast cancer and other serious diseases. 

Christine Roden, whose research in RNA biology at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill seeks to understand how disrupted RNA structures can result in diseases like ALS or cancer, with the potential to improve treatments for these types of diseases. 

“The meaningful scientific progress being made by this inspiring group of researchers reminds us how important it is to promote female representation in STEM fields,” said Frédéric Rozé, executive vice president, L'Oréal Americas. “We are proud to help support the staying power of scientists who are not only changing the world through their work, but are serving as role models for the next generation of women.”

L'Oréal USA will recognize the 2019 fellows at an awards ceremony at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C. on  Nov. 7. 

The L'Oréal USA For Women in Science program is the U.S. component of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards, a global program created in 1998 that recognizes and rewards women scientists around the world. Through the international program and the nearly 50 national and regional programs—which includes the For Women in Science program—more than 3,100 female scientists from more than 110 countries have received fellowships to pursue promising research projects. 

The 2019 For Women in Science fellowship candidates were evaluated based on their intellectual merit, research potential, scientific excellence and their commitment to supporting women and girls in science.