Five scientists have been named laureates in the 2026 L’Oréal-Unesco For Women in Science International Awards, recognised for their “pioneering contributions” to life and environmental sciences.
Those celebrated in this year’s programme, which recognises the excellence of women in science worldwide, will be presented with their awards at Unesco’s headquarters in Paris, France, on 11 June.
Professors Liesl Zühlke, Felice Jacka, Sarah Teichmann, Raquel Lia Chan and Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic are being celebrated for their “major roles” in tackling global health and environmental challenges, ranging from tissue engineering and genomic research, to nutritional psychiatry and agricultural biotechnology.
The laureates chosen in the 28th edition of the L’Oréal-Unesco For Women in Science International Awards were selected from 504 nominations, representing 89 countries.
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They were judged by an independent international jury chaired by Professor Brigitte Kieffer, Research Director Emeritus at the National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) France, Member of the French Academy of Sciences, and former laureate of the awards.
More than 5,000 women have been recognised by the programme so far, including 142 international award laureates, among whom seven have received a Nobel Prize in science.
“By reaching the milestone of 5,000 female researchers supported worldwide and renewing our historic partnership with Unesco, we are mobilising more than ever to defend the place of women in science,” said Jean-Paul Agon, President of the Fondation L'Oréal.
“Our faith in research is absolute; it is the only answer to the world's complexity.
“From high school students to the world-renowned laureates we celebrate today, we are building an intergenerational chain of excellence where every woman can shape the future of progress.”
The five laureates of the 2026 L’Oréal-Unesco For Women in Science International Awards
Laureate for Africa and the Arab States – Professor Liesl Zühlke, cardiac and cardiovascular systems
A Professor at the University of Cape Town & VP of the South African Medical Research Council, South Africa.
Zühlke has been rewarded for improving the care for children with heart conditions, especially rheumatic heart disease (RHD), which disproportionately affects children living in poverty.
Her research has repositioned RHD as a socio-political issue tied to health system deficiencies and inequities.
Laureate for Asia and the Pacific – Professor Felice Jacka, psychiatry
A Deakin Distinguished Professor, OAM, and Director of the Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University, Australia.
Jacka has been rewarded for establishing the field of nutritional psychiatry, with her research unravelling the complex relationship between diet and brain health, recognising diet and nutrition as risk factors for mental disorders.
Laureate for Europe – Professor Sarah Teichmann, cell biology
FMedSci FRS, Chair in Stem Cell Medicine at the University of Cambridge, UK.
Teichmann has been rewarded for her outstanding interdisciplinary research using genome science and computational biology to understand the human body at single cell resolution.
Her work in single-cell technologies provides fundamental resources for biomedical research, drug discovery and public health.
Laureate for Latin America and the Caribbean – Professor Raquel Lia Chan, agricultural biotechnology
A superior Researcher at CONICET; Professor at the National University of Litoral (UNL); and Director of the Litoral Agrobiotechnology Institute (CONICET-UNL), Argentina.
Chan has been rewarded for transforming fundamental plant biology into agricultural innovation through her discovery of genes and biological mechanisms, which enhance plant tolerance to changing environments.
She translated this knowledge into drought-tolerant wheat, maize, rice and soybean varieties, contributing to global food security.
Laureate for North America – Professor Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, bioengineering
A University Professor, Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University, US.
Vunjak-Novakovic has been rewarded for her work in human tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Her contributions in developing ‘organs-on-a-chip’ and biological substitutes to repair, maintain or improve tissue function have been instrumental in recapitulating organ physiology.
Khaled El- Enany, Director-General of UNESCO, commented on this year’s awards: “Women scientists are not only advancing research, they are expanding what we believe is possible.
“In a world where science has never been more essential, we cannot afford to leave half of humanity's talent on the sidelines.
“As we enter the International Decade of Science for Sustainable Development, the L'Oréal-Unesco For Women in Science programme is proof that excellence and equality must advance together.
“These five laureates are an inspiration to their peers, and to the millions of girls who will, in turn, follow in their footsteps.”
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