Five postdoctoral scientists have been named awardees of the 2026 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science U.S. program, highlighting research that spans disease-resistant crops, exoplanet imaging, and spinal cord injury recovery.
The annual initiative honors women early in their scientific careers whose work addresses complex challenges across diverse fields. This year’s cohort represents institutions including the University of California, Berkeley; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Princeton University; the California Institute of Technology; and The Ohio State University.
At the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Danielle Stevens focuses on innate immunity and computational biology. Stevens employs artificial intelligence to accelerate the engineering of disease-resistant crops by targeting specific plant immune receptors. The research aims to reduce global pesticide dependency while safeguarding agricultural food supplies.
Dr. Anna Romanov of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology works at the intersection of bioengineering, synthetic biology, and immunology. Romanov builds molecular technologies designed to track how B-cells evolve, translating those fundamental insights into the advancement of new vaccines and biologic therapies.
At Princeton University, Dr. Katherine Lagerstrom investigates ecology and evolutionary biology. Lagerstrom’s research examines how human-driven pressures—such as pollution, antibiotic usage, captivity, and direct human contact—alter animal microbiomes and microbial evolution, with a particular focus on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance within gut microbiomes.
Dr. Clarissa Do Ó of the California Institute of Technology centers her work in astronomy and planetary sciences. Do Ó develops instrumentation and technologies aimed at imaging extrasolar planets, establishing foundational methods for identifying Earth-like worlds orbiting Sun-like stars to better understand Earth’s place in the broader universe.
At The Ohio State University, Dr. Tana Pottorf investigates neuroimmunology. Pottorf studies the function of macrophages following spinal cord injuries, seeking to develop targeted therapies that preserve the beneficial properties of these immune cells while mitigating chronic inflammation to enhance patient recovery.
The honorees are slated to be recognized during a panel and reception co-hosted by Vox, marking the second consecutive year of the partnership celebrating the program’s awardees. As part of the event, Vox Media Creative will premiere five short documentaries chronicling the researchers and their respective projects. Meanwhile, organizers announced that applications for the 2027 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science U.S. program are currently open.
