Six Polish women researchers received L'Oreal fellowships

L\'Oreal Polska For Women and Science programme promotes women and their professional achievements and popularizes science in society. It is organized by L\'Oréal Polska, the Polish Committee for UNESCO and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Awards in the 16th edition of the competition were presented on Thursday in Warsaw.

Three one-year postdoctoral fellowships were awarded, each worth 35 thousand zlotys. Dr. Aneta Balcerczyk from the Department of Molecular Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz was awarded for research on the mechanisms regulating vascular endothelium, which lines the inside of blood vessels. The second winner, Dr. Katarzyna Gach-Janczak from the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, searches for the mechanisms responsible for the inhibition of division and the death of cancer cells. The third winner - Dr. Joanna Sułkowska from the Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Biological Systems Modelling, Centre of New Technologies and the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Warsaw studies entangled proteins that may be associated with many diseases of civilization.

"This award shows that it is worthwhile to pursue your dreams. I did not have either biology or chemistry classes in high school. In my last year, I decided to study physics at the University of Warsaw. The studies were not easy, but I was able to finish, and than finish doctoral studies with honours. Now I work at the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Warsaw. I think this award shows that if you really want something, you can go far. The most important thing is to want and work towards your goal" - the winner said receiving the prize.

Two scholarships for PhD students in the amount of 30 thousand zlotys went to: Joanna Rzemieniec from the Department of Experimental Endocrinology, Institute of Pharmacology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków and Martyna Urbanek from the Department of Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Poznań.

In this year\'s edition of the program a scholarship for graduate students has been awarded for the first time. A prize of 20 thousand zlotys went to Agata Jarmuż - biochemistry student at the Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz.

Magdalena Bem-Andrzejewska from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education pointed out that the women - scientists "disappear" at higher career levels. "Two times more women than men obtain a master\'s degree. Slightly more women than men obtain doctoral degree. However, women are twice less likely to obtain habilitation than men" - the Ministry of Science representative said during Thursday\'s ceremony.

"Thanks to the program, the group grows of outstanding women, Polish women scientists whose efforts and contribution to the development of science has been recognised and rewarded (...). The level of the competition has always been high. In the early years of the competition the prize was given to every tenth candidate, and over the past few years to one in twenty candidates" - President of the jury Prof. Ewa Łojkowska said during the ceremony.

L\'Oreal Polska For Women and Science is organized since 2000. 81 women have already been awarded in the 16 editions of the competition. This year\'s winners also joined the group more than 2.4 thousand women around the world, awarded in international editions of the program: L\'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science, held in 112 countries.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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