L’Oréal Announces 2019 For Women In Science Fellows
L’Oréal USA today 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 is rooted in L’Oréal’s core belief that the world needs science and science needs women, because women in science have the power to change the world. The 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.
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.
L’Oréal USA will recognize the 2019 fellows at an awards ceremony hosted by CBS Evening News Anchor and Managing Editor Norah O’Donnell at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C on Thursday, November 7th.
