Experimental physicist, biochemist and chemist win L'Oreal-UNESCO scholarships

The three winners of the EUR 5,000 scholarships join the 49 women who have received the scholarships over the 18 years of the programme.

Arh is an experimental physicist working on the magnetism of quantum materials, which is one of the most vibrant areas in modern solid-state physics and could provide an important platform for the development of a new generation of quantum technologies. Understanding the materials today requires the use of state-of-the-art experimental and theoretical methods, a press release reads.

Čerček is a biochemist researching the neurodegenerative diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Her aim is to develop better therapies to treat these life-changing diseases that are a burden on the healthcare system.

Rijavec is a chemist working in heritage science, an interdisciplinary field of study of cultural and natural heritage, where she focuses on the processes of decomposition of cultural heritage materials to prevent or slow down the processes of decomposition of priceless museum objects.

"We still have a lot of work to do if we do not want to continue to lose the potential in the know-how that women scientists can contribute. The new Slovenian science research and innovation strategy unequivocally puts gender equality at its core," Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Igor Papič said as he honoured the winners.

Addressing the event, Alenka Malej, chair of the national committee for the L'Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science Programme, pointed out that "there is a certain symbolism in the fact that L'Oreal, which has made beauty its mission, supports women in science". "We usually associate beauty with another human creativity - art. But many famous researchers also see beauty in science - the beauty of the feeling of discovering something new through research," she said.

The latest data show that a third of researchers in Slovenia are women, which puts the country in the EU average. The share of women researchers is highest in medicine, and lowest in engineering and technology. Among the research projects funded in 2022, 41% were led by women. The highest share of selected projects led by women was recorded in the biotechnical sciences, while the lowest was in the technical sciences.