Celebrating Excellence: Women for Science Prize Awarded to Uruguayan Scientist

The researcher from the Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, María Eugenia Francia is the recipient of the 2025 Anneke Levelt Sengers Prize, offered by the Women for Science Program. At just 39 years old, she has built an impressive career dedicated to advancing our understanding of molecular parasitology.

María Eugenia Francia holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degrees in Sciences from the University of Idaho (USA), a Doctoral degree in Cellular Biology/Molecular Parasitology from the University of Georgia (USA), a postdoc from the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia (Portugal), and a postdoc from the Institut Pasteur de Montevideo (IPMON).

Today, she leads groundbreaking work as Principal Investigator at the Laboratory of Apicomplexan Biology at the Institut Pasteur de Montevideo. With more than 30 publications in high-impact journals and invited speaker at several national and intertional conferences, Francia has made remarkable contributions to science. This award celebrates her outstanding achievements and her commitment to pushing the boundaries of knowledge.

About the Anneke Levelt Sengers Prize

The Anneke Levelt Sengers Prize is part of the IANAS Women for Science Program, which seeks to promote gender equity in science and highlight the vital role women play in advancing research and innovation. By recognizing exceptional women scientists, this prize aims to inspire future generations and foster an inclusive scientific community where talent and dedication thrive. The prize honors Anneke Levelt Sengers, a distinguished scientist and advocate for women in science, whose legacy continues to inspire efforts toward equality and excellence in research. Since its first edition in 2012, the Anneke Levelt Sengers Prize has celebrated outstanding women scientists across the Americas.

To ensure the prize inspires and promotes equity in science, the following eligibility criteria apply: (a) female PhD holder; (b) under 40 years old (before July 31 of the year of the call); (c) actively conducting scientific work in her country in the fields of Exact, Natural, Technological, Life, or Social Sciences; and (d) the Prize is dedicated to women scientists or engineers from Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, and the Caribbean.

Previous winners include:

2012 – Clarimar Camacho (Venezuela – Chemistry)
2016 – Liante Monzote (Cuba – Pharmaceutical Sciences)
2018 – Karina Caballero Gallardo (Colombia – Environmental Toxicology)
2021 – Joanna Lado (Uruguay – Molecular Biology)
2023 – Alicia Rojas (Costa Rica – Microbiology)

Credit (featured image): Institut Pasteur de Montevideo