The L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science UK & Ireland Rising Talent Fellows 2024 were announced at an event at the Houses of Parliament on 19 March 2024.
Each Rising Talent has received a grant to support a 12-month period of research. The awards have been designed to provide flexible and practical financial support for winners to spend on scientific equipment, paying for childcare, travel costs or indeed whatever they need to continue their research.
Dr Sara Keller is a Glasstone Research Fellow in the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford. Her research involves developing ultrasound molecular imaging probes for the rapid diagnosis of bacterial infections with the aim of creating new tools for image-guided interventions. Sara received her PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Washington, Seattle.
Dr Océane Seudre is a postdoctoral research fellow at Queen Mary University of London, and her current interdisciplinary research aims to uncover the developmental regulatory basis of phenotypic plasticity in tropical butterflies. Her long-term goal is to integrate epigenetic mechanisms into our understanding of resilience to changing ecosystems. Océane received her PhD in evolutionary and developmental biology from Queen Mary University of London.
Dr Giulia Laura Celora is an EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow at the Department of Mathematics at University College London. Her research is in the field of mathematical biology and aims to develop mechanistic mathematical models to understand the multiscale dynamics of cell collectives in development and cancer. Giulia received her PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of Oxford in 2023.
Dr Ann Njeri is a postdoctoral research associate in Extragalactic Astrophysics at Newcastle University. Dr Njeri’s current research work involves the use of wide-field and high-resolution radio imaging to probe the nature of hidden supermassive black holes in galaxies, for a better understanding of how they influence the formation and evolution of galaxies (including our own Milky Way Galaxy) and stars through cosmic time. Dr Njeri has a PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Manchester.
Dr Reem Swidah holds a PhD in Biotechnology from the University of Manchester and currently serves as a postdoctoral researcher at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, focusing on the Sc3.0 and minimal genome for the synthetic Sc2.0 strain. Reem is driven by the ambition to leverage her skills in synthetic biology to address global challenges. Her goal is to harness the exceptional evolutionary abilities of synthetic yeast strains to develop innovative and cost-effective technologies to produce biofuels. She believes that these advancements hold the potential to combat climate change and play a pivotal role in achieving the ambitious goal of Net Zero emissions by 2050, a key strategic objective of the University of Manchester (UoM).
“As a company founded by a scientist over 100 years ago, L’Oréal, together with UNESCO, is committed to driving gender equality in STEM and recognising the exceptional work of female scientists who are vitally contributing to solving the challenges of tomorrow.
"Congratulations to this year’s Fellows who are a true inspiration for generations to come.”
Thierry Cheval, L'Oréal UK and Ireland, Managing Director
“Congratulations to this year's L’Oréal-UNESCO UK and Ireland For Women in Science Rising Talent fellows. Giving a platform and visibility to women scientists is everyone's responsibility, Government, civil society, and business, because if you cannot see it, you cannot be it. Neither the UK, nor the world, can successfully respond to the pressing environmental and societal challenges without unleashing the knowledge and capability of women scientists.”
Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP and Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee
