Henkel recognizes female researchers worldwide with the “Martha Schwarzkopf Award for Women in Science”

• Henkel is presenting the “Martha Schwarzkopf Award for Women in Science” for the third time
• Award winners receive prize money and an offer of exclusive scientific exchange and support for their research from Henkel experts

For the third consecutive year, Henkel has honored international female scientists in the field of hair research. The winners were celebrated at an awards ceremony on December 5 in Düsseldorf and received prize money of up to 10,000 euros. With the Martha Schwarzkopf Award, Henkel aims to support women in science, particularly in the field of hair research.

Equal opportunities and gender equality are integral parts of Henkel’s corporate culture. “In natural sciences and technical subjects, women are often still underrepresented. With the Martha Schwarzkopf Award, Henkel contributes to increasing diversity in science and supports the advancement of talented female researchers,” says Frank Meyer, Senior Vice President Global R&D Henkel Consumer Brands.

Researchers from all over the world focusing on hair research or related areas were invited to apply for the Martha Schwarzkopf Award. All applications were evaluated on scientific merit by an expert jury of R&D scientists from Henkel Consumer Brands. The winners in the category “Lifetime Contributions” received prize money of 10,000 euros each and those in the category “Emerging Talents” were awarded 5,000 euros each. In addition, Henkel offers them opportunities for an intensive exchange with scientists from the company. This not only promotes the establishment of a valuable network, but also serves to further develop their research projects. “We are very pleased that we have once again received many qualified applications from all over the world this year. This fulfils our goal of making the award and the associated network more international and therefore even more diverse every year”, says Astrid Kleen, Vice President Global Hair R&D Henkel Consumer Brands.

About the winners

This year's winners convinced the expert jury with their innovations, pioneering spirit, and the high relevance of their research. “The unique backgrounds, experiences, and research areas of the awardees showcase the incredible diversity within hair research. At the same time, all the applicants share a common passion and outstanding talent for advancing in science,” says Andrea Sättler, Corporate Director R&D at Henkel Consumer Brands and Chair of the Martha Schwarzkopf Award expert jury. Due to the high number of exceptional applications, the award for the category “Lifetime Contributions” was granted to three female scientists this year:

• Prof. Congfen He
• Prof. Kristen LoSicco
• Prof. Malebogo Neo Ngoepe

Prof. Congfen He is Professor of Cosmetic Biotechnology at Beijing Technology and Business University in Beijing, China, and runs her own research laboratory. Among other things, she specializes in scalp health and the role of lipids in hereditary hair loss and premature greying of the hair.

Prof. Kristen Irene LoSicco, Director of the Skin and Cancer Unit and Associate Professor of Dermatology at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine in the USA, is a medical researcher specializing in hair loss and scalp disorders.

Prof. Malebogo Neo Ngoepe is the Director of the Centre for Research in Computational and Applied Mechanics ‏(CERECAM) at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. She researches the characteristic properties of curly hair and aims to counteract the lack of published information on the special biophysical structure of curly hair fibers.

In addition, two young female scientists were honored in the category “Emerging Talents”. The winners were Yuou Sha, a doctoral student in the Department of Dermatology at the Huashan Hospital, Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and Karoline Strobl, a post-doctoral researcher at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. Yuou Sha focusses on research into the pathogenesis of hair diseases. This includes hair transplantation and the diagnosis and treatment of hair loss. Karoline Strobl is co-founder, CEO and scientist of Foolproof Skin, an app for customized skin and hair care that translates scientific publications into understandable language for consumers and patients. During her PhD, Karoline focused on cancer research and analyzed the impact of cancer therapies on the skin barrier and hair follicle.

About the Martha Schwarzkopf Award 

The Martha Schwarzkopf Award is a tribute to Martha Schwarzkopf, who was one of the first female entrepreneurs in Germany to pioneer hair research. Even today, all of the Schwarzkopf brand's technical innovations are in the tradition of the Schwarzkopf Hair Research Institute, which was founded by Martha Schwarzkopf in the 1920s and whose scientists advanced research into human hair. Today, Schwarzkopf is the largest brand in the hair category at Henkel Consumer Brands and operates research and development laboratories, hair test salons and academies around the world.