On October 6, Institut Pasteur scientists Adriana Luga, Fannie Dupuy and Lea Feldmann, were among the laureates of the 20th Rising Talents France Awards, part of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science program.

Every year since 2007, the L'Oréal Foundation, in partnership with the French Academy of Sciences and the French National Commission for UNESCO, has been recognizing the achievements of promising young women scientists who are helping advance the frontiers of research in France.

The award shines a light on women scientists, supports them in their career and recognizes their contribution to research. The prize includes an endowment to help them continue their research and advance scientific knowledge in their field.

This year, 35 PhD students and postdoctoral fellows were selected to receive the 2026 L'Oréal-UNESCO "For Women in Science" French Young Talent award.

The 20th edition recognized the achievements of three of the Institut Pasteur's women scientists:

Image		Adriana Luga, a PhD student in the Leptospirosis Research and Expertise Unit led by Roman Thibeaux at the Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie, whose research seeks to improve understanding of the persistence of Leptospira in soil in New Caledonia.
Image		Fannie Dupuy, a PhD student in the Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections Unit led by Guillaume Duménil, who is studying the mechanism of meningococcal septicemia.
Image		Lea Feldmann, who defended her thesis under the supervision of Capucine Grandjean in the Dynamics of Immune Responses Unit – formerly led by Philippe Bousso – who is exploring a novel immunotherapy to treat cancer by observing how macrophages attack cancer cells.

See the profiles of the 35 laureates (in French)
 

Photos credit: L'Oréal