Fanny Salmon, laureate of the L’Oréal-UNESCO – Young Talents Award France 2025 – For Women In Science
Fanny Salmon, midwife and PhD student in epidemiology in the OPPaLE team, has received the L’Oréal-UNESCO – Young Talents Award France 2025 – For Women in Science. The award ceremony was held on October 8, 2025, at the Institut de France in Paris.
This prestigious award recognizes her thesis work, conducted under the supervision of Pr Gilles Kayem and Dr. Mathilde Letouzey, on the effects of perinatal inflammation on the long-term neurodevelopment of premature babies. Her research aims to better understand the early determinants of neurodevelopment in premature babies in order to improve their care and provide parents with more accurate information about their children’s future.
Alongside her research activities, Fanny Salmon works as a midwife at Robert-Debré Hospital (AP-HP). Convinced that research and clinical practice feed into each other, she works to promote the role of midwives in research. Through this recognition, Fanny Salmon hopes not only to raise awareness of her work in perinatal care, but also to encourage young women to pursue scientific careers, convinced that diversity enriches research.
The Young Talents program supports 34 young female researchers each year. They are selected by a jury composed of members of the Academy of Sciences, both for the scientific excellence of their work and for the singularity of their professional trajectory, marked by their commitment and dedication to advancing science in the service of society.
Entirely dedicated to women scientists, this program aims to break the “glass ceiling” that still hinders their progress in academic research. According to UNESCO data, women represent only 29.7% of researchers in France and barely 14% of the highest academic positions in Europe.
Through this award, the L’Oréal Foundation and UNESCO hope to promote greater representation of women in science and encourage women to pursue careers in the field.
Each winner receives a grant—€15,000 for doctoral students and €20,000 for postdoctoral researchers—to help them pursue their research projects in the best possible conditions.
They also benefit from a leadership training program that includes workshops on management, negotiation, and public speaking, designed to strengthen their ability to promote their work and assert themselves in an environment that is still largely unequal.
Congratulations to Fanny Salmon, along with the 33 other laureates of the promotion 2025, for their commitment and contribution to the advancement of science.
By Fanny Salmon
Photo credit: Fondation L’Oréal © Julien Knaub & © Nicolas Gouhier
