A $20,000 scholarship is awarded to an iREx scholar

Five fellowships from L’Oréal and UNESCO were awarded to Women in Science during a ceremony on November 21. Among the award recipients is Lisa Dang, a postdoctoral researcher from the Trottier Institute for Exoplanet Research (iREx) at the University of Montreal. The Research Excellence Scholarship awarded is $20,000.

Lisa Dang, who has a PhD in astrophysics from McGill University, joined the IREX team in September. His work focuses on hot exoplanets, that is, planets outside our solar system with atmospheric temperatures between 500 and 2000 K. These hypervelocity planets, also known as hot Jupiters and lava planets, are studied using the latest space telescopes and instruments. By gathering information about these exoplanets, such as their climate and composition, and by looking for clues about their history and creation, the researcher would like to understand the context in which our solar system is located. This grant will support a program to characterize lava planets using the Space Telescope james webb, indicate. This data will allow us to study the interior of a rocky exoplanet to understand its interaction with the planet’s atmosphere.”

Since 2003, the L’Oréal Foundation and UNESCO have supported the work and contributions of women in science to help them combat discrimination, marginalization and the systemic barriers they sometimes face. Various scholarships are awarded annually to young Canadian researchers to pursue their research. All laureates join the ranks of the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science international scientific community, which includes nearly 4,000 female researchers from around the world.