Meet the 2025 L’Oréal USA For Women in Science Awardees

Today, November 13, Vox is co-hosting an evening with L’Oréal Groupe to honor the 2025 L’Oréal USA For Women in Science awardees. Since 2003, the program has recognized hundreds of women in STEM fields, awarding more than $5 million in grants to support their continued research.

The US program is part of the global L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards, which specifically supports research by postdoctoral women scientists. According to UNESCO, women make up only one-third of the world’s scientific researchers. L’Oreal’s For Women in Science initiative aims to raise that number by inspiring more women to pursue careers across all scientific disciplines.

This year’s awardees are:

Kaveeta Kaw: Biomedical — Emory University, School of Medicine

Researching, with the use of 3D modeling, pulmonary arterial hypertension so that the disease is better understood and treatment therapies can be tailored to each individual patient.

Kaitlyn A. Webster: Developmental — Harvard Medical School

Studying the Mexican tetra fish to better understand the factors that influence reproductive biology: how males and females develop from the same biological starting point, how environment affects fertility, and how sperm and eggs select each other.

Rebecka J. Sepela: Sensory — Harvard University

Conducting curiosity-guided research on naturally occurring molecules and how their interaction with animal chemical receptors influences behavior and physiology.

Georgia Squyres: Microbiology — California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Studying biofilm communities of bacteria, and how in these communities each bacteria takes on specialized roles to carry out group tasks. Specifically working to understand how biofilms are able to work to build antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Sydney Aten: Physiology — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School

Researching the body’s internal clock, also known as the circadian rhythm, and its effects on sexual and reproductive behavior in mice with a focus on female fertility. Studies include temperature changes and how night shift work might affect reproductive outcomes.

At the event, Vox Media Creative will premiere five short documentaries profiling each recipient and their groundbreaking work.

Applications for the 2026 For Women in Science grants are now open.