Three researchers honored with a prestigious prize

Anne Gagneux and Amandine Chantharath, doctoral students at the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) de Lyon, have been awarded the 2026 L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science France prize. They are among 35 doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers selected from 820 applications by a jury of over 50 members of the Academy of Sciences.

Grants and training for laureates

Each winner receives financial support—15,000 euros for doctoral students and 20,000 euros for post-doctoral researchers—as well as training in communication and leadership. This funding is intended to support their research and help them develop essential skills for their careers.

Anne Gagneux’s academic journey

Anne Gagneux, who grew up in Clermont-Ferrand, initially studied architecture before switching to mathematics. She is now preparing a thesis at Inria at the ENS de Lyon on artificial intelligences capable of generating and restoring images.

Amandine Chantharath’s background and research

Amandine Chantharath, who grew up in Rillieux-la-Pape, a suburb of Lyon, in a family from Laos, discovered prestigious higher education institutions in high school. She is now working on a thesis at the intersection of evolution, immunology, and microbiology, focusing on immune defenses in living organisms.

Awards aim to support early-career scientists

François Combes, an astrophysicist and president of the Academy of Sciences, emphasized that the early stages of a scientific career are critical and often difficult. The prize aims to provide support at this vulnerable time, helping laureates continue their work and feel valued in the scientific community.

Ceremony and community among laureates

The award ceremony took place on October 7th at the Academy of Sciences. Anne Gagneux noted that the prize fostered a strong sense of community among the 35 laureates, encouraging them to exchange ideas and support each other.

Anne Gagneux’s research on AI

Anne Gagneux’s research explores how artificial intelligences generate and restore images. She is investigating whether these systems can truly invent new images or only recombine existing elements they have learned from training data. The exact mechanism behind this process remains unclear.

Amandine Chantharath’s focus on immune systems

Amandine Chantharath’s research focuses on the immune defenses of lesser-known species. She highlighted bats, which often carry viruses without showing symptoms, and fish, which have immune systems with features that could inspire human medical research.

Encouragement for aspiring scientists

Amandine Chantharath, reflecting on her own journey, encouraged students from the suburbs to take risks and not compare themselves to others. She emphasized that making mistakes is part of the process and that the path to a scientific career is rarely straightforward.

Anne Gagneux on gender representation in science

Anne Gagneux noted that women are underrepresented in fields like computer science and mathematics. She observed that while progress is being made, the numbers of women in these areas have not changed significantly in recent decades. However, she believes the award helps women feel more confident and less inclined to self-censor.

Advice to young women in science

Anne Gagneux encouraged young girls to pursue scientific careers and to dare to try new things. She emphasized that scientific fields are diverse and not limited to solving equations all day. She shared her own experience of moving from architecture to mathematics and computer science, highlighting the variety of opportunities available in these fields.