15th edition of the Canadian Awarding ceremony of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science fellowships
MONTREAL, Nov. 7, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - During a ceremony held on November 6 in conjunction with the North America Gender Summit, five Canadian researchers were honoured and rewarded through the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science program, with the support of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.
The 2017 Fellows
The L'Oréal-UNESCO 2017 Excellence in Research Fellowships, each worth $20,000, are awarded to support major postdoctoral research projects undertaken by young Canadians at a pivotal time in their career. They reward excellence and allow top scientists, selected by a panel of experts, to further their research. Ms. Liette Vasseur, President of the Natural, Social and Human Sciences Sectoral Commission of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, had the pleasure to present them to:
- Dr. Marie-Ève Lebel, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow, Melichar Laboratory, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont Research Centre;
- Dr. Kelly Suschinsky, PhD, Post-doctoral Fellow, SAGE Laboratory, Queen's University.
A $10,000 L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science – NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship Supplement was awarded by Dr. B. Mario Pinto, president of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to a Canadian scientist involved in a promising research project, namely:
- Dr. Mélanie Françoise Guigueno, NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Natural Resources Sciences, McGill University.
To support the mission of the France Canada Research Fund (FCRF), Her Excellency Kareen Rispal, Ambassador to France in Canada, awarded two fellowships of $5,000 each to encourage and develop scientific and university exchanges between France and Canada, in all areas of knowledge, from fundamental science to human and social sciences. The L'Oréal Canada France Canada Research Fund 2017 fellows are:
- Ms. Stéphanie Gamache, M.Sc.Erg., Doctoral student at the Université Laval, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration (CIRRIS) and Occupational therapist at the Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capitale Nationale, IRDPQ site, DP Community Integration;
- Ms. Danielle McRae, PhD Candidate, Department of Chemistry, Western University.
In his closing remarks, Frank Kollmar, President and CEO of L'Oréal Canada, said: "Tonight, we honor women of science, because the L'Oréal Foundation and UNESCO have a conviction that is also obvious: the world needs science and science needs women, because women of science have the power to change the world. These 5 young researchers represent the future of scientific excellence in Canada and the advancement of our society."
In Canada, the program has recognized since 2003 over 65 promising young researchers, whose work contributes to the advancement of therapeutic treatments, to sustainable development, to the survival of our planet, to a better understanding of our universe and to an enhanced comprehension of the very foundation of life.
The International L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science program
Since 1998, the L'Oréal Corporate Foundation and UNESCO have been committed to increase the number of women working in scientific research. 150 years after Marie Curie's birth, only 28%* of researchers are women and only 3% of Scientific Nobel Prizes are awarded to them. That is why, for the past 19 years, the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme has worked to honour and accompany women researchers at key moments in their careers. Since the programme began, it has supported more than 2,700 young women from 115 countries and celebrated 97 Laureates, at the peak of their careers, including professors Elizabeth H. Blackburn and Ada Yonath, who went on to win a Nobel Prize.
*UNESCO Science Report Toward 2030, 2015
About L'Oréal Canada
L'Oréal Canada is a wholly-owned subsidiary of L'Oréal Group, the largest cosmetics company in the world. Headquartered in Montreal, the company had sales of $1.133 billion in 2016 and employs more than 1,300 people. It holds a portfolio of 38 brands, encompassing all aspects of beauty, and is present across all distribution networks: mass market, department stores, salons, pharmacies, drugstores, and branded retail.
About the Canadian Commission for UNESCO
The Canadian Commission for UNESCO serves as a bridge between Canadians and the vital work of UNESCO—the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. By promoting UNESCO values, priorities and programs in Canada and by bringing the voices of Canadian experts to the international stage, the Commission contributes to a peaceful, equitable and sustainable future that leaves no one behind.
SOURCE L'Oréal Canada Inc.
For further information: L'Oréal Canada media contact: Virginie Hotte-Dupuis, Manager External Communications & Philanthropy, L'Oréal Canada, 514-287-4618, [email protected]; Canadian Commission for UNESCO media contact: Angèle Cyr, Senior Advisor, Public Affairs, Canadian Commission for UNESCO, [email protected], 613-566-4414, ext. 4168
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