Introducing the 2026 L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Awardees

On October 22, Vox is co-hosting a panel and reception honoring the 2o26 L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science 2026 Award recipients, our second year celebrating this group of scientists.

The program, part of the global L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science initiative, recognizes five women postdoctoral scientists whose research ranges from bioengineering to astronomy.

Meet them below: Dr.

Danielle Stevens: Innate Immunity, Computational Biology — University of California, Berkeley Using artificial intelligence to speed up the engineering of disease-resistant crops by targeting plant immune receptors, with the goal of cutting global pesticide use and protecting our food supply.

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Anna Romanov: Bioengineering: Immunology — Massachusetts Institute of Technology Integrating bioengineering, synthetic biology, and immunology to build molecular technologies that reveal how B-cells evolve, then applying those insights to the development of vaccines and biologic therapies.

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Katherine Lagerstrom: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology — Princeton University Studying how human-driven change — pollution, antibiotics, captivity, and human contact — reshapes animal microbiomes and the way microbes evolve, including the spread of antibiotic resistance in the gut microbiome.

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Clarissa Do Ó: Astronomy & Planetary Sciences — California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Building the tools and technologies used to photograph planets beyond our solar system, laying the groundwork for finding new Earth-like planets rotating around Sun-like stars to allow deeper understanding of where our own planet fits in the universe.

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Tana Pottorf: Neuroimmunology — The Ohio State University Investigating the role of immune cells (macrophages) after spinal cord injury, aiming to develop therapies that preserve their helpful effects while curbing chronic inflammation and improving recovery.

At the event, Vox Media Creative will premiere a documentary exploring these scientists’ groundbreaking work.

Applications for the 2027 L’Oréal for Women in Science grants are now open .