Raquel Chan winner of the L'Oréal-UNESCO International Prize 'For Women in Science'

Table of Contents

Raquel Chan, a CONICET researcher, professor at the National University of the Litoral (UNL), and director of the Institute of Agrobiotechnology of the Litoral (CONICET-UNL), was honored with the prestigious international L’Oréal-UNESCO “For Women in Science” award for having transformed the fundamentals of plant biology into agricultural innovation with her discovery of genes and biological mechanisms that improve plant tolerance to environmental changes.

Chan has applied this knowledge to the development of drought-resistant varieties of wheat, corn, rice, and soy, thus contributing to global food security. She is a visionary leader and a dedicated mentor who has trained a new generation of scientists specializing in botany.

With this recognition, Argentina has consolidated its position as the Latin American country with the highest number of female scientists distinguished with this international award, reaching a total of 12 awarded researchers: 9 Laureates and 3 Rising Talents.

The researcher is distinguished for her work in the identification of plant genes and biological mechanisms capable of giving rise to crops with a lower carbon footprint and greater resilience to environmental stress. This is a breakthrough of great relevance in a context where agricultural producers are seeking to respond to a growing demand for food under increasingly challenging conditions.

By identifying various genes and biological mechanisms that allow crops to tolerate water scarcity, high temperatures, and extreme weather phenomena such as floods and droughts, their research opens up new perspectives for strengthening food security and contributing to feeding a growing global population. In particular, his work has focused on wheat, corn, rice, and soybean varieties that are tolerant to water deficits.

“Plants are unique and extraordinary; they are exceptional living beings that, directly or indirectly, provide all our food and replenish the oxygen we breathe. Studying how they function and how they perceive signals from the environment is truly fascinating,” the researcher pointed out. And she explained that “together with my team, we have identified specific genes that make certain plants more resilient. We are applying that knowledge to protect more vulnerable crops. In particular, we have dedicated our work to helping plants cope with water deficit, floods, cold, waterlogging, high temperatures, and other environmental stress factors.”

Among her main achievements, Chan and their team developed a technique based on the knowledge acquired that allows for increasing the production of seeds and fruits in family farming systems. Likewise, they are working to make this information freely accessible to agricultural producers through explanatory videos in Spanish and English, thus contributing to democratizing their pioneering discoveries.

Trajectory
#

Raquel Chan’s beginnings in science date back to the 1980s, when she graduated in Biochemistry from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. She returned to Argentina and in 1988 obtained her doctorate at the Center for Photosynthetic and Biochemical Studies (CEFOBI, CONICET-UNR), under the direction of Dr. Rubén Héctor Vallejos. She carried out her postdoctoral studies at the Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg (France), and upon returning to Argentina, she joined the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology of Rosario. Currently, she is a senior researcher at CONICET, a professor at the National University of the Litoral (UNL), and director of the Institute of Agrobiotechnology of the Litoral (CONICET-UNL).

Chan has directed undergraduate and doctoral theses, some of which have been awarded by various organizations. She has published more than 80 papers in international journals indexed in the SCI, more than 10 book chapters, numerous popular science articles, and is a co-inventor of 10 international patents. She has received multiple distinctions, including: Personality of the Year 2010 in Santa Fe, the Konex Award in the Biotechnology category (2013), the Female Food Hero from Croplife International (2019), the City of Rosario-IBR Foundation Award (2019), the RedBio International Medal (2020), the IICA Chair (2022), the Ada Byron Award (2022), and the Bunge and Born Foundation Award in Agrobiotechnology (2023), among others.

The Award
#

Since 1998, the L’Oréal-UNESCO “For Women in Science” program has recognized and celebrated eminent women in science throughout the world. The L’Oréal-UNESCO International “For Women in Science” Award is presented to five outstanding female scientists from around the globe.

The five winners of the 28th Edition are: Raquel Chan for Latin America and the Caribbean; Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic for North America; Liesl Zühlke for Africa and the Arab States; Felice Jacka for Asia – Pacific and Sarah A. Teichmann for Europe.

Contact [Notaspampeanas](mailto: notaspampeanas@gmail.com)