Paris, France - The L’ORÉAL-UNESCO For Women in Science partnership Monday named the five exceptional women scientists from around the world who will receive the 2012 L’ORÉAL-UNESCO Awards in Life Sciences.

The 2012 Laureates in Life Sciences are:

Africa and the Arab States --  Professor Jill Farrant, Research Chair – Plant Molecular Physiology, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, in South Africa. She was honoured for 'Discovering how plants survive under dry conditions.”

Asia and Pacific -- Professor Ingrid Scheffer, Chair of Paediatric Neurology Research, University of Melbourne, Australia. She was honoured for 'Identifying genes involved in some forms of epilepsy.”

Europe -- Professor Frances Ashcroft, Royal Society Research Professor, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Oxford University, UK. She was honoured for “Advancing our understanding of insulin secretion and of neonatal diabetes.”

Latin America -- Professor Susana Lopez, Developmental Genetics and Molecular Physiology, Department of the Institute of Biotechnology, National University of Mexico, Cuernavaca, Mexico. She was honoured for 'Identifying how rotaviruses cause the death of 600,000 children each year.”

North America -- Professor Bonnie Bassler -- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, USA. Honoured for 'Understanding the chemical communication between bacteria and opening new doors for treating infections.”

The Awards Ceremony will take place on 22 March, 2012, at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. An outstanding role model for the next generation of scientists, each Laureate will receive US$ 100,000 in recognition of her contribution to the advancement of science.

The UN agency said in a press statement Monday in the French capital that an international network of nearly 1,000 scientists usually nominates the candidates for each year’s awards.

The five laureates are then selected by an independent, international Jury presided over by Prof Günter Blobel, the Nobel Prize winner in Medicine in 1999.

Blobel said: “The work of the 2012 Award Laureates yielded remarkable insights into human health issues, such as diabetes, brain seizures, bacterial and viral infections, and extending to the cultivation of plants in arid areas.

'Their research is truly original and each is among the best in five distinct regions of the world.”

Faced with global issues such as diminishing resources, increasing and aging populations, and the consequent medical and social challenges, L’Oréal and UNESCO are convinced that these women researchers will have a major impact on society and help light the way to the future. A pioneering programme for the promotion of women in science, the L’Oréal Corporate Foundation and UNESCO have supported women researchers throughout the world who contribute to moving science forward for the past 14 years. Each year, it highlights scientific excellence and encourages promising talent.

Since 1998, the L’ORÉAL-UNESCO Awards have recognised 72 Laureates, exceptional women who have made great advances in scientific research.  Two of them have gone on to receive the Nobel Prize.

In its aim to promote and encourage women throughout their scientific careers, the Women in Science partnership has also developed a global network of international, regional and national fellowship programmes aimed at supporting young women who represent the future of science.
To date, fellowships have been granted to more than 1,200 women in 103 countries, permitting them to pursue their research in institutions at home or abroad. The programme has become a benchmark of scientific excellence on an international scale.

Pana 09/11/2011