Bernadette Stolz receives L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Rising Talent fellowship
L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Rising Talent fellowships recognise exceptional early careers women scientists in the UK and Ireland, providing grants to support the recipients in pursuing their research.
Five grants are awarded to outstanding women postdoctoral scientists in the fields of Physical Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Computing, Life Science, and Sustainable Development.
Dr Stolz, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Centre for Topological Data Analysis, University of Oxford has been awarded for her work using mathematical methods that study shape in data to show the complexities in cancerous tissue which could help with treatment predictions and scheduling.
Dr Stolz said: ‘I am really thrilled and humbled to have been given this year’s L’Oreal-Unesco For Women in Science Rising Talent in Mathematics and Computer Science Award. At a career stage where it is vital to establish myself as an independent researcher, it is wonderful for my work to be recognised in this way.
‘The Centre for Topological Data Analysis at Oxford is unique in bringing together mathematicians from the full spectrum of more pure to very applied to work on all aspects of Topological Data Analysis. I feel very happy to be a part of such a vibrant group and to work with Professors Helen Byrne and Heather Harrington, who have been absolutely brilliant and supportive mentors.’
During her fellowship, Dr Stolz intends to develop novel shape-based quantitative biomarkers for heterogeneity in cancer tissue images and extend her work to mathematical models of tumour vasculature to enable predictions and investigate links between form and function.
The fellowship programme is a partnership between L’Oréal UK & Ireland, the UK National Commission for UNESCO and the Irish National Commission for UNESCO, with the support of the Royal Society.
James Bridge, UK National Commission for UNESCO, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary-General, said: ‘Congratulations to the 2022 Fellows. We are very proud to be able to support these outstanding researchers to undertake the ground-breaking work that they do. There is still much more to be done to achieve true gender equality in science but it is clear that, as a global community, we must recognise and promote the achievements of women scientists.’