For Women in Science: ABC Awards Ufscar Prize to Scientists | IMPA

Data scientist Diane Aparecida Zuanetti, professor at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCAR), was the winner in the mathematics category of the 17th edition of the Women in Science programme, an initiative promoted by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC) in partnership with L’Oréal and UNESCO.

The aim is to promote and recognize female participation in science, and to encourage gender parity. To allow her studies to continue, the scientist was awarded a scholarship of R$50,000 – the same amount as the other six laureates.

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The project developed by Zuanetti seeks to propose effective and efficient statistical methods for describing trends and making predictions from genetic data, analyzing RNA sequences present in single cells, that is, analyzed individually, rather than collectively.

The expectation is that new computational methodologies will be disclosed to the public, to allow access to the scientific community. The idea is for innovations to be applied not only in the field of human health, but also in research on animal health and the genetic improvement of plants for agriculture.

The award ceremony will take place at L’Oréal’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro on November 30. During its 17 editions, the initiative has recognized the important work of 117 Brazilian scientists, with more than R$4.7 million distributed in grants.

In addition to mathematics, the Women in Science program has selected four winners in the field of life sciences: researcher from the University of Pernambuco, Patricia Takako Endo; Pharmacist and biochemist Tathiane Malta, of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, and pharmacist Gisely Cardoso de Melo, researcher at Dr. Heitor Vieira Dorado (AM); and biologist Grazielle Sales Teodoro, researcher at the Federal University of Pará.

In the field of chemical sciences it was the winner the chemist Giovanna Ancheski Battaglione; While the winner in the physical sciences was Fernanda Selengardi Matias, a researcher at the Federal University of Alagoas.

The main criteria for evaluating the candidates were scientific quality, impact of current and previous research, productivity, and the potential for success of the projects.

IMPA’s Director General, Marcelo Viana, was one of the jury members, made up of researchers nominated by ABC, a representative of UNESCO and a representative of L’Oréal. The jury will be chaired by ABC Director Helena Nader.

In the 2018 edition, Italy’s Luna Lomonaco, an IMPA researcher, was one of the seven winners. In 2020, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) Professor María Amelia Salazar, who received her PhD at IMPA between 2014 and 2017, was the winner in the Mathematics category.

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