Published 02-22-07
Submitted by L'Oreal
PARIS- February 22, 2007"“ Carbon nanotubes. Bio-medical applications of plants. Medicinal chemistry. The properties of polymers in solution. The self-organizing properties of large molecules. These are the fields of study in which five women scientists have distinguished themselves-women from five continents who today received the prestigious 2007 L'OREAL-UNESCO Award For Women in Science at UNESCO House in Paris, France. The 2007 L'OREAL-UNESCO Laureates are leaders in their fields and have nearly two centuries of combined research experience among them.
Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, Chairman of L’ORÉAL, and Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, presented each Laureate with her $100,000 award. Nobel Laureate Professor Pierre-Gilles de Gennes of the Collège de France in Paris presided over the ceremony. Baroness Susan Greenfield of Oxford University and the Royal Institution of Great Britain -- a world-renowned and thought-provoking advocate of women in science -- delivered the keynote address.
This year’s North American Laureate is Dr. Mildred Dresselhaus, Institute Professor of Electrical Engineering and Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dr. Dresselhaus was selected for conceptualizing the creation of carbon nanotubes. Due to their small size, high strength and electrical conductivity, carbon nanotubes are ideal for new materials used in objects such as lightweight bicycles and flat-panel screens. Dr. Dresselhaus has conducted scientific research for more than four decades and was the first tenured woman professor at MIT’s School of Engineering and one of the first women to receive a Fulbright Fellowship. Dr. Dresselhaus, a native of the Bronx, N.Y., wrote the paper that defined "“ and continues to define "“ this field of study.
Along with Dr. Dresselhaus, the other Laureates include:
Professor Professor Margaret BRIMBLE (New Zealand), Professor, Chair of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Auckland, New Zealand. Laureate for Asia/Pacific. "For her contribution to the synthesis of complex natural products, especially shellfish toxins." Professor Brimble has focused on the synthesis of shellfish toxins that are useful for the design and development of drugs for clinical conditions including Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, hypertension, stroke, and cancer.
Now in its ninth year, the L'OREAL-UNESCO Award For Women in Science is the only one of its kind to honor eminent women scientists at the international level. The five Laureates are nominated by respected scientists from around the world and a jury of 14 distinguished international scientists selects the final recipients. This year’s jury is presided over by Nobel Laureates Christian de Duve of the Institute of Cellular Pathology in Belgium and Pierre-Gilles de Gennes of the Collège de France in Paris.
Also honored at the Paris ceremony were 15 UNESCO-L'OREAL International Fellows, promising young women scientists at the doctorate or post-doctorate level in the life sciences. The Fellows each receive a maximum of $40,000 over two years to pursue independent research projects at a host institution outside of their home countries. This year’s International Fellows include Petra Klepac from Croatia, who will study population dynamics and optimal control of infectious diseases at Pennsylvania State University, and Venetia Briggs from Belize, who will research multisensory communication and sexual selection in red-eyed tree-frogs at Boston University.
For more information on this year’s Laureates, International Fellows or the L'OREAL-UNESCO partnership please visit: www.loreal.com
ABOUT THE L'OREAL-UNESCO FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE PROGRAM
The For Women in Science program is designed to recognize, reward and advance the role of women in scientific research. Since the For Women in Science program’s inception in 1998, 362 women from 76 countries have been recognized as Laureates or Fellows.
For Women in Science was created to raise global awareness of the under-representation of women in science and engineering. By giving women in science a public face, the program seeks to provide the next generation of women scientists with inspirational role models. The L'OREAL-UNESCO For Women in Science program is composed of three parts:
The For Women in Science program also offers an online community, AGORA (www.agora.forwomeninscience.com/agora, for scientists to discuss issues and commonalities and to debate the challenges women must overcome to gain recognition in their fields. AGORA not only connects researchers from around the world, but it also provides opportunities to communicate with some of the top scientists in the world, including Nobel Laureates.
ABOUT L'OREAL
A worldwide leader in the cosmetics industry, L’ORÉAL develops innovative products to meet the diverse needs of customers in 130 countries worldwide. Over 3,000 people work in the Group’s 14 research centers, located in France, Asia and America. Their findings are responsible for the registration of hundreds of patents annually. Women represent 55% of the research workforce "“ a percentage unmatched anywhere else in the industry. www.loreal.com
ABOUT UNESCO
Since its creation in 1945, UNESCO has been dedicated to eliminating all forms of discrimination and promoting equality between men and women. While designing scientific education programs intended especially for young women, UNESCO has created several academic chairs that connect women of science around the world. With 191 Member States, UNESCO functions as a laboratory of ideas and a standard-setter to forge universal agreements on emerging ethical issues. UNESCO works to create the conditions for true dialogue, based upon respect for commonly shared values and the dignity of each culture. www.unesco.org
A worldwide leader in the cosmetics industry, L'Oréal develops innovative products to meet the diverse needs of customers in 130 countries worldwide. Over 3,000 people work in the Group's 14 research centers, located in France, Asia and America. Their findings are responsible for the registration of hundreds of patents annually. Women represent 55% of the research workforce - a percentage unmatched anywhere else in the industry. www.loreal.com
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