L'Oreal For Women in Science Awards 2025

Recap:

For Women in Science

Branch Treasurer, Jessica Ryan Sims, PhD and I recently had the honor of representing AAUW at L'Oréal Groupe and Vox’s annual For Women in Science awards here in NYC. Picture this: a room full of world-changing scientists, an astronaut MC (the luminous, sparkling, pregnant Kellie Gerardi), and five researchers whose work is redefining our universe.

Every year, For Women in Science awards five postdoctoral women scientists with major grants to fuel their research. Now in their 22nd year, they’ve invested over $5 million into exceptional women pushing STEM forward. Here’s a glimpse of the jaw-dropping work of this year’s grantees:

🐠 Dr. Kaitlyn Webster (Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School) Investigating how cavefish sperm and eggs recognize each other, a rapid-evolution mystery that could reshape our understanding of fertilization and human fertility treatments.

🫁 Dr. Kaveeta Kaw (Cardiology & Bioprinting, Emory University School of Medicine) Pioneering 3D-bioprinted blood vessels to better model pulmonary arterial hypertension and tailor therapies to individual patients, advancing the future of precision medicine.

🐙 Dr. Rebecka Sepela (Sensory Biology, Harvard University) Uncovering the chemical “language” microbes use to communicate with animals, using the octopus as a model to reveal how organisms (including humans) make sense of the world around them. 🧫 Dr. Georgia Squyres (Molecular Biology, Caltech) Studying biofilms (slime-like bacterial communities that can resist antibiotics) using cutting-edge imaging to understand how individual cells cooperate and defend themselves.

🌗 Dr. Sydney Aten, PhD (Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School & Beth Israel Deaconess) Investigating how disrupted circadian rhythms, especially in night-shift workers, affect fertility, work that could help clinicians better time treatments and boost success rates for people trying to conceive.

What struck me most was how relatable these scientists are. They’re young, vibrant, and unapologetically themselves, pink, sparkles, bold style and all. For young girls imagining their futures, that relatability matters. It expands their idea of who belongs in STEM and what a scientist can look like.

That’s exactly why I’m so excited for AAUW NYC Metro's 2026 Women in STEM program. We’re building a space where NYC high school girls can meet role models just like these: women who are young, brilliant, and real, to expand their sense of possibility, challenge outdated narratives, and help more girls step confidently into STEM careers.

Because if you ever need proof that investing in women changes the world, here it is.