L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science

The Brazilian Government received with satisfaction the news that the Brazilian scientist Thaisa Storchi Bergmann wil be honored, as the Latin America representative, with the 17th Annual L'Oréal-UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Award for Women in Science, for her outstanding contributions to research in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics, especially in relation to the fields of massive black holes, dark matter and cosmology.

Professor of the Department of Astronomy and head of the research group in astrophysics at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), PhD Thaisa Bergmann is member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC) and the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS).

On the same occasion, scientist Carolina Horta Andrade, professor of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Federal University of Goiás (UFG), will be one of the three women in Latin America honored with the International Rising Talents Grants, for her research in the field of medicinal chemistry, especially for the treatment of Leishmaniasis, disease that affects around 12 million people worldwide, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).

The L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science aims to recognize the talent of women scientists who, through their research, contribute to overcome new challenges faced by societies around the world, such as population ageing and the sustainable use of biodiversity resources. Dr. Thaisa Bergmann is the sixth Brazilian to be awarded the referred Prize since its creation in 1998.

The program International Rising Talents was created this year with the objective of supporting promising young women researchers throughout their careers.