Four outstanding female researchers receive the “Swiss L’Oréal

Swiss TecLadies Swiss TecLadies Technology education Thursday, 22. October 2026 11:30

The “Swiss L’Oréal – UNESCO For Women in Science” prize has been awarded for the second time. The award honors four exceptional early-career scientists for their excellent research. The ceremony took place on 21 October 2026 at the Zürcher Kammerorchester (ZKO) in Zurich.

From left to right: Millicent Dockerill, University of Geneva; Jana Musilová, ETH Zurich; Oana Pelea, University of Zurich; and Vera Vollenweider, University of Zurich

The program is a joint initiative of L’Oréal Switzerland, the Swiss Commission for UNESCO and the SATW. Its motto is “The world needs science – and science needs women”, and following last year’s successful launch, it was held in Switzerland for the second time. Each award winner receives a grant of 25,000 Swiss francs to continue her research. This year’s award winners conduct their research at the University of Geneva, ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich.

The four award winners 2026

Dr Millicent Dockerill, University of Geneva

Millicent Dockerill develops next-generation, reversible blood-thinning therapies equipped with a rapid “chemical zipper” antidote. Her platform allows clinicians to instantly stop drug activity in emergencies, dramatically reducing the risk of dangerous bleeding and protecting vulnerable patient populations, including pregnant women.

Dr Ing. Jana Musilová, ETH Zurich

Jana Musilová pioneers the foundational layer of a personalized “digital twin” of the human menstrual cycle. She combines computational biology with longitudinal steroid hormone data. Her open-source models address critical historical data gaps in women’s healthcare and help to transform the diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as endometriosis and PCOS.

Dr Oana Pelea, University of Zurich

Oana Pelea develops next-generation bridge recombinase systems with the goal of achieving high-fidelity, large-scale genome rearrangements in human cells. By advancing the precise insertion of large, gene-sized DNA sequences, her research could help lay the foundation for mutation-agnostic therapies for genetic disorders.

Dr Vera Vollenweider, University of Zurich

Vera Vollenweider explores innovative antimicrobial strategies that deprive multidrug-resistant bacteria of the iron they need to grow. Her research investigates whether prolonged iron starvation can cause clinical pathogens to shed mobile genetic elements carrying antibiotic resistance and virulence genes.

Voices from the partner organizations

The 2026 Swiss laureates demonstrate the indispensable contribution of women to scientific progress.

Claire Dieudonné, Country Coordinator & Market Director Consumer Products, L’Oréal Switzerland

Women represent a substantial share of university graduates in Switzerland, yet systemic challenges still hinder their path to the highest academic ranks.

Prof. Thomas Zeltner, President of the Swiss Commission for UNESCO

Women still hold only around 25% of professorships at ETH Zurich and EPFL. Yet science and engineering need the full range of talent.

Benoît Dubuis, President SATW

About the program

Since 1998, the Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO have been supporting outstanding female researchers worldwide with the For Women in Science program. Since then, more than 4,700 female scientists have been supported, including seven Nobel Prize winners.

The Swiss edition is organized in collaboration with the Swiss Commission for UNESCO and the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences SATW and took place for the second time in 2026. The program helps to make scientific excellence visible and to promote equal opportunities in research and technology in the long term.

More about the program: For Women in Science at SATW

Four outstanding female researchers receive the “Swiss L’Oréal – UNESCO For Women in Science 2026” award