The 2026 L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards have been announced; previously, three Chinese scholars—Hailan Hu, Ning Yan, and Xiaoyun Wang—won the award in the past four editions.

On May 19, two prestigious international awards—the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards and the Gruber Prizes in Science (comprising three disciplinary sub-prizes)—simultaneously announced their 2026 laureates. This article provides a brief introduction to the five recipients of the 2026 L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award. The five recipients of the 2026 L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award—jointly conferred by UNESCO and the L'Oréal Foundation—are as follows: Professor Liesl Zühlke of the University of Cape Town, South Africa, representing Africa and the Arab States; Professor Felice Jacka of Deakin University, Australia, representing Asia and the Pacific; Professor Sarah A. Teichmann of the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, representing Europe; Professor Raquel Lia Chan of the National University of the Coastal Region, Argentina, representing Latin America and the Caribbean; and Professor Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic of Columbia University, USA, representing North America. Liesl Zühlke is an expert in cardiology and cardiovascular systems and serves as Vice-Chair of the South African Medical Research Council. She received the award for her contributions to improving care for children with heart disease—particularly rheumatic heart disease (RHD), a condition disproportionately affecting impoverished children. Professor Zühlke’s research reframes RHD as a sociopolitical issue rooted in health system failures and inequities. Her dedication to scientific excellence, leadership in global health, and capacity-building initiatives have significantly improved the lives of vulnerable children suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Felice Jacka is a psychiatrist, Distinguished Professor at Deakin University, recipient of the Order of Australia, and Director of the Food & Mood Centre. She received the award for pioneering the field of nutritional psychiatry. Professor Jacka’s research has uncovered the complex relationships between diet and mental and brain health, establishing nutrition and dietary patterns as risk factors for psychiatric disorders. Her leadership in training and in providing evidence-based resources for professionals and the public has transformed global understanding of and approaches to mental healthcare. Sarah A. Teichmann is an expert in cell biology and a Fellow of both the UK Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal Society. She holds the Chair of Stem Cell Medicine at the University of Cambridge. She received the award for her outstanding interdisciplinary research—using genomics science and computational biology to understand the human body at single-cell resolution. Professor Teichmann’s groundbreaking work in single-cell technologies has provided foundational resources for biomedical research, drug discovery, and public health.

Ning Yan has been awarded the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award, becoming the eighth Chinese laureate.

On May 14, local time, UNESCO announced the winners of the 2024 L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards. Five women scientists—including Ning Yan, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and structural biologist—were honored for their pioneering research in life and environmental sciences. Notably this year, they were recognized for their major contributions to tackling global public health challenges—from infectious diseases such as cancer, malaria, and polio, to chronic conditions including obesity, diabetes, and epilepsy. Established in 1998, the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards are jointly administered by UNESCO and the French cosmetics group L'Oréal. Each year, an international jury selects one laureate from each of five regions—Africa and the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America (since 2000)—for a total of five awardees. The prize honors women scientists whose groundbreaking work addresses critical scientific questions and supports their ongoing research careers. (Source: For Women in Science) Originally restricted to the life sciences and offering a $20,000 prize per laureate, the award expanded in 2003 to include all scientific disciplines and increased its prize amount to $100,000 per laureate. Awarded annually, the program has so far honored 91 women scientists from 45 countries. Often dubbed the 'Nobel Prize for Women in Science,' it remains the world’s only global initiative dedicated exclusively to recognizing and supporting women scientists. Previous Chinese laureates include Academician Fanghua Li of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Professor Yuqiu Ye of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Professor Wing-Hong Yuen of the University of Hong Kong; Professor Yi Xie of the University of Science and Technology of China; Academician Hualan Chen of the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Academician Mimian Zhang of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Professor Hailan Hu of the Center for Neuroscience, Zhejiang University. Ning Yan is the eighth Chinese woman scientist to receive this award since its inception. Laureates: Asia and the Pacific Region Laureate Ning Yan (Structural Biology): Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Professor, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University; Director, Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART); Director, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory Reason for Award: She was honored for determining the atomic structures of multiple membrane proteins that regulate the transport of ions and sugars across cell membranes—discoveries that elucidate the regulatory principles underlying transmembrane transport. Her exceptional research has deepened our understanding of numerous diseases—including epilepsy and cardiac arrhythmias—and guided therapeutic development for pain syndromes. As a leading authority in her field, Dr. Yan inspires women scientists worldwide and is a steadfast advocate for gender equality in scientific research and science education.

2026 Latin American Women in Chemistry Award winners named

2 days ago

The American Chemical Society and Latin American Federation of Chemical Associations have announced the 2026 Latin American Women in Chemistry Award winners. Recipients will be honored at upcoming congresses in Lima, receiving cash prizes and professional development benefits.

cen

2026-01-19

Meet the ACS National Award Winners for 2026: Part 5

2026-08-10

ACS Heroes of Chemistry Program Turns 30

2026-08-26

ACS honors 2026 Heroes of Chemistry

2026-08-27

Sustainable innovators honored with ACS 2026 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards

2026-08-31

ACS names 2027 National Award winners