Tan Yifen of Malaysia, UNESCO-L'ORÉAL Fellow 2010 receiving her Fellowship certificate from Béatrice Dautresme, Vice President of L'Oréal, and Walter Erdelen, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO
Kuala Lumpur, 4th March 2010 - The 12th L’Oréal-UNESCO “For Women in Science” Awards Ceremony was held on 4th March at UNESCO headquarters in Paris to honour exceptional women in science whose research contributes to changing the world.
The L’Oréal-UNESCO “For Women in Science” Awards emphasizes and demonstrates the importance of participation of women in the development of science in today’s world. Besides recognizing and promoting exceptional women throughout the world for their careers in scientific research, it also aspire to encourage vocations in science among young women while supporting the creation of modern role models for current and future generations.
Since 1998, the L’Oréal- UNESCO For Women in Science Awards honoured five Laureates each year, one from each continent namely Africa and the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America, for their outstanding scientific contributions and commitment.
The UNESCO- L’Oréal international fellowships was launched in year 2000 to encourage and support promising young scientists, three from each of the five geographic regions – Africa, Arab States, Asia & the Pacific, Europe & North America and Latin America & the Caribbean, to develop their talent.
Tan Yifen, the UNESCO-L’Oréal International Fellowships 2010 Award for Malaysia making her one of the women researchers from all over the world to receive this prestigious award. Each of the researchers are awarded up to US$40,000 over two years to help finance her research and will have the unique opportunity to pursue her studies at a renowned institution abroad.
Tan Yifen is currently a PhD student, specializing in molecular biology at the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia. Her research project is to study the function of small noncoding RNAs expressed during the biofilm formation phase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen which commonly resides in soil and water that causes severe infection in imuno-compromised patients. The outcome of this molecular study will provide a foundation beneficial to future studies in developing antimicrobial drugs for human healthcare concern. Yifen will pursue her research at the Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
Malaysia Triumph in the International Fellowships
Under the UNESCO-L’Oréal International Fellowships, Malaysia now have 4 International Fellows including Tan Yifen and the past recipients are:
Dr Suraini Abdul Aziz, 2001 (Head, Department of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia)
Project: Her research is to study bacteria which in their natural environment are specialized in degradation of plants debris and produce an enzyme which has great industrial potential.
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Dr Nyon Mun Peak, 2006 (Post Doctoral Researcher at Birkbeck College, University of London)
Project: Her research aims to determine the three dimensional structure of cutinase, a fungal enzyme of great interest to the detergent industry.
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Dr Chan Yean Yean, 2009 (Lecturer, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia)
Project: Her research project is on the emerging field of electrochemical DNA biosensors which aim to make diagnosis cheaper, faster and safer for rapid and accurate detection of infectious pathogens which leads to the implementation of effective prevention and treatment strategies.
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About the L’Oréal –UNESCO For Women in Science Programme
In 1998, L’Oréal and UNESCO joined forces to develop the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme. Through the For Women in Science programme, L’Oréal and UNESCO seek to bring together women who are helping to change the world through their research. These expert scientists embrace global challenges ranging from health and the environment to citizen actions, and represent the bedrock of the future.
Recently, Professors Elizabeth Blackburn and Ada Yonath, both 2008 Laureates of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards, were awarded the Nobel Prize, in Medicine and Chemistry respectively. Recognition of the scientific excellence of these women by such a prestigious institution provides enormous encouragement for the future of the L’Oréal and UNESCO partnership.
Over the past 12 years, the For Women in Science programme has honoured 62 Laureates and 864 Fellows. It has become an international reference for scientific excellence and an invaluable source of motivation and inspiration for women in science.
