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The New Face Of Science: Young Women Scientists Honored

Submitted by:L'Oreal

Categories:Diversity & Human Resource

Posted: Apr 12, 2005 – 12:00 AM EST

Five exceptional young women, postdoctoral candidates, recognized by L'Oréal USA with $20,000 grants

NEW YORK, NY -- For the second year in a row, the L'Oréal USA for Women in Science program will award five young women from leading U.S. academic institutions with significant education and research grants. The five recipients will be honored at a special luncheon ceremony taking place today at the American Museum of Natural History.

With its longstanding commitment to women and science, L'Oréal is proud to acknowledge the success of these young women as they further establish their careers in scientific research. "We are very pleased to recognize the contributions of young women scientists," said Jean-Paul Agon, President and CEO, L'Oréal USA. "Through L'Oréal's for Women in Science program, the company continues its tradition of commitment, support and encouragement to women, science and excellence in scientific research."

The U.S. Fellowship Program has become an important component of the larger L'Oréal Group's international initiative, the L'ORÉAL-UNESCO for Women in Science Awards. The Awards, launched in 1998, annually identify five established women scientific researchers from around the world as Laureates, and grant 15 international fellowships to promising young women scientists at doctoral or post-doctoral levels. Since its creation, the for Women in Science program has recognized the past and potential achievements of well over 100 women scientists from more than 45 countries around the world involved in the life and material sciences.

The U.S. Fellowship program each year identifies and rewards five female, postdoctoral researchers at the start of their careers. This year's U.S. Fellowship recipients are charting exciting courses that may one day lead to a better understanding of disease causing bacteria; may provide us with insight into the spread of infectious diseases; may open a window to the human brain and its intricate circuitry by studying the tiniest of creatures - a fruit fly. From theoretical science to ecology, the 2005 honorees are as inspiring as the women in whose footsteps they follow - Lise Meitner, theoretical physicist, Marie Curie the first woman researcher recognized by the Nobel committee, and the brilliant molecular biologist, Rosalind Franklin whose work contributed to the discovery of the "double helix".

By shining the spotlight on these rising stars, L'Oréal USA's for Women in Science program is demonstrating, that women have been and continue to be important contributors to scientific discoveries in every area and that science needs women - women like:

Dr. Jennifer Erin Stine Elam, Washington University, Saint Louis - biochemist studying the biogenesis of amyloid fibers associated with degenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Hungtington's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Dr. Elam is also studying the possible disease-causing effects of bacteria that produce curli fibers. Her research could lead to a better understanding of persistent bacterial infections in humans and assist the development of novel antibiotics tailored to fight these infections.

Dr. Lisa Everett, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida - theoretical physicist, focused on seeking connections between the string theory and the observable world as studied in present and forthcoming laboratory experiments. Dr. Everett has currently turned her attention to the fundamental theories of mass patterns, with an emphasis on the neutrino sector within the string/unification paradigm.

Dr. Stacey Lynn Halpern, Florida State University, Tallahassee - ecology, evolution and behavioral scientist involved in better understanding the factors that control plant population size, important in addressing environmental and economic problems created by invasive and weedy species.

Dr. Cindy Maria Quezada, Rockefeller University, New York City - biochemist and molecular biophysicist working to decipher how bacteria manipulate normal cellular processes in order to proliferate and survive within our cells. Further knowledge of how bacteria cause disease may identify interesting prospects for drug development.

Dr. Julie H. Simpson, University of Wisconsin, Madison - molecular and cellular biologist, interested in how the brain receives information from the environment and orchestrates an appropriate behavioral response. Understanding how the brain's neural circuits control behavior and how they are modified by experience is essential for deciphering normal learning and disease states.

Note to the Editors

ABOUT L'ORÉAL USA
L'Oréal USA, headquartered in New York City, with 2004 sales of about $4.0 billion and 7,600 employees, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the L'Oréal Group, the world's leading cosmetics company. L'Oréal USA has Research & Development, Manufacturing, Distribution and Administration facilities in New Jersey, New York, Kentucky, Arkansas, Illinois, Ohio, Colorado and Georgia. L'Oréal's impressive portfolio of brands includes Lancôme, Giorgio Armani, Shu Uemura, L'Oréal Paris, Garnier, Vichy, Biotherm, La Roche Posay, L'Oréal Professionnel and Kérastase. New York is a base for the product development, marketing and advertising of L'Oréal's American brands, which include Ralph Lauren, Kiehl's Since 1851, Maybelline New York, SoftSheen.Carson, Matrix, Mizani and Redken 5th Avenue NYC.

For more information, please contact:

Jennie James

Phone: +1-(212) 984-4414

Sam Mattingly

Phone: +1-(212) 984-4742

For more from this organization:

L'Oreal

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CSR Press Release

The New Face Of Science: Young Women Scientists Honored