The L'Oréal-UNESCO "For Women In Science" program, coinciding with the celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11-F), has awarded prizes to 5 Spanish projects developed by researchers under the age of 40, each with an endowment of 15,000 euros that will be used to continue financing their progress.
These studies range from the development of new methods for obtaining and accumulating renewable energies such as green hydrogen or photovoltaic energy, to the early detection of eye diseases, going through the study of the properties of neutrinos, which would allow to expand the knowledge of the universe and the development of new technologies, and the application of mathematics in geophysics to better understand the functioning of the planet.
The investigations have been chosen by a prestigious jury made up of eminent scientific experts in the areas covered in this edition: Susana Marcos, research professor and director of the IO-CSIC Visual Optics and Biophotonics Laboratory; Mateo Valero, director of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC); Carlos Andradas, Professor of Algebra at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM); and Pilar López Sancho, research professor at the Institute of Materials Sciences of Madrid-CSIC.

Research in renewable energy to guarantee a sustainable future
Among the awarded research is that of María Retuerto, from the Institute of Catalysis and Petroleochemistry-CSIC. María is studying creating a technology to accumulate renewable energy in the form of green hydrogen (H₂), thus helping to combat climate change. Two thirds of polluting gas emissions originate in the energy sector, so to reduce them, a massive use of renewable energies must be transitioned. For this, efficient methods are necessary to accumulate this clean energy and that it can become global sources.
On the other hand, scientist Sonia Ruiz Raga, from the Catalan Institute of Nanociència i Nanotecnología (ICN2) investigates to create devices for converting sunlight into clean energy in an effective, cheap, durable and sustainable way. Specifically, Sonia investigates the development of photovoltaic technology with hybrid materials that facilitate the use of renewable energies globally. That is, as she explains, "in a few years we could even print solar cells at home to be able to carry them in all kinds of devices," she explains.
Knowledge of the universe, the earth and early detection of diseases
Another of the winners has been Clara Cuesta, from the Center for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT), whose work studies the properties of neutrinos, key particles in the universe, to better understand their functioning, the origin of matter and the disappearance of antimatter. Knowledge that will allow the development of cutting-edge technological applications in the field of industry.
Jezabel Curbelo's research from the Department of Mathematics of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia analyzes the evolution of fluids in nature through the equations that model them to better understand the dynamics of the interior of the Earth and other planets. The aim of it is to develop mathematical tools of application in geophysics with great applications in the near future.
Finally, the scientist from the CSIC Optics Institute, Judith Birkenfeld, is investigating to develop a tool for the early detection of keratoconus, an ocular disease of the cornea that affects 1 in 2,000 people in Spain and usually appears among the 16 and 25 years. Early detection is key to slowing its development, reducing the need to transplant the cornea, and improving the quality of life for thousands of people.

More than 3,600 scientists supported by the program
Created in 1998, the L'Oréal-UNESCO International Prize "For Women in Science" recognizes five eminent scientists from five regions of the world each year. Present in 117 countries, the program has recognized 3,600 women scientists from its origins, such as the Spanish Margarita Salas and Nobel Prize winners. Alternating every two years between life sciences and materials sciences, these exceptional researchers, selected by a jury of internationally renowned experts, are awarded a prize of € 100,000 to finance their research and that they continue to contribute exceptionally to the progress of science.



For more information about the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science program and the awarded scientists you can visit: www.loreal.es

Follow us on social media through the hashtag #QueremosCiencia #ForWomenInScience