PARIS – UNESCO and the Fondation L’Oréal on Tuesday named five women researchers as laureates of the 2026 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards, recognizing their pioneering work in life and environmental sciences.

The awards, now in their 28th year, will be presented on June 11 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The laureates were selected from a record 504 nominations across 89 countries, underscoring the growing prominence of women in science. Since its creation, the program has honored more than 5,000 women, including 142 international laureates, seven of whom later won Nobel Prizes.

The winners include Liesl Zühlke of the University of Cape Town, honored for advancing treatment for children with rheumatic heart disease in Africa and the Arab States; Felice Jacka of Deakin University, Australia, who established the field of nutritional psychiatry in Asia-Pacific; Sarah A. Teichmann of the University of Cambridge, UK, recognized for breakthroughs in single-cell genomics in Europe; Raquel Lia Chan of CONICET-UNL, Argentina, awarded for developing drought-tolerant crops in Latin America; and Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic of Columbia University, USA, cited for advances in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine in North America.

The awards come as UNESCO and Fondation L’Oréal announced a six-year renewal of their partnership to promote gender equality in science. Despite progress, women still represent only one in three researchers worldwide, according to UNESCO data.

“By reaching the milestone of 5,000 female researchers supported worldwide and renewing our historic partnership with UNESCO, we are mobilizing more than ever to defend the place of women in science,” said Jean-Paul Agon, president of Fondation L’Oréal.

UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany added: “Women scientists are not only advancing research, they are expanding what we believe is possible. We cannot afford to leave half of humanity’s talent on the sidelines.”