EMBL Director General recognised alongside four other exceptional women in the life sciences
Edith Heard, Director General of EMBL, has been selected for a L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science Award. The Awards, presented annually to five exceptional women scientists from different regions of the world, are this year honouring the achievements of women in the life sciences.Heard receives the Award for her fundamental discoveries concerning the mechanisms governing epigenetic processes, which allow mammals to regulate proper gene expression and are essential for life.The Awards will be made at a ceremony on 12 March at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, where this year’s five laureates will be recognised alongside 15 Rising Talents – young women scientists from around the world.
Since its creation in 1998, the L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science Programme has honoured and supported five outstanding women researchers each year. It has also supported more than 3300 talented young women scientists in more than 118 countries. At EMBL, a current recipient of a stipend from the Programme is Andrea Imle, postdoctoral fellow in the Diz-Muñoz group. In 2019, Sissy Kalayil, postdoctoral fellow in the Cusack group, received the Young Talent France 2019 L’Oréal–UNESCO Prize for Women in Science.