Prestigious Fellowship awarded to Leeds mathematician
Dr Priya Subramanian from the School of Mathematics, has been awarded a prestigious L’Oréal-UNESCO UK and Ireland Fellowship for Women in Science.
Only five L’Oréal-UNESCO UK and Ireland Fellowships were awarded this year to scientists selected from nearly 300 applicants. The Fellowships provide £15,000 of flexible financial support for outstanding female postdoctoral researchers to continue their work. Winners may choose to spend their fellowship on buying scientific equipment, paying for child care costs, travel costs or indeed whatever they may need to continue their research.
Dr Subramanian’s research focuses on mathematical recipes for never-repeating quasicrystals. Repeating patterns of tiles and crystals occur throughout the natural world, but never-repeating patterns are special because they possess order without repeatability. So-called quasicrystals containing such arrangements of atoms and molecules are thought to require less energy to assemble, and could offer advantages in manufacturing, insulation and photonic devices.
Dr Steve Shiel, Scientific Director at L’Oréal UK & Ireland, said: “Now in its tenth year, the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme remains as important as ever. Women still face significant barriers to STEM careers, from a shortage of female role models for young children to a lack of support once on their chosen career path. Science needs women, and as a company founded on science, we are committed to ensuring more women are able to enjoy long and successful careers in science.”
Professor Dame Carol Robinson, Head of the Judging Panel and a L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Laureate, said: “These awards are well known in the science community and are always fiercely contested because of the vital support they provide. Each of our finalists is working on innovative and ground-breaking research, so selecting the winners was a tough task for the judges, but we are delighted they can now benefit from this support at a crucial stage in their careers, and we look forward to seeing the fruits of their research in the future.”
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