Doha, January 20 (QNA) - The State of Qatar won the LOreal-UNESCO Award for the year 2020 presented for distinguished women in the field of science.

The Award was presented to Dr. Isra Marei, post-doctoral associate in pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q). She was recognized for her research towards the development of 3D vascular drug screening platforms based on cord blood endothelial progenitor cells.

Speaking during a press conference held Wednesday on the occasion, Secretary-General of Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science Dr. Hamda Hassan Al Sulaiti said that receiving the LOreal-UNESCO Award came within the framework of the joint efforts, cooperation and partnership between WCM-Q and the UNESCO, with the aim of benefiting from the capabilities of the international organization in supporting and strengthening the national capacities, and preparing Qatari cadres capable of managing development projects in the next stage.

Dr. Al Sulaiti encouraged everyone to apply for UNESCO prizes and other regional and international organizations in order to raise high the name of the State of Qatar, noting that LOreal-UNESCO Award for women in the field of science is one of the UNESCO awards that aims to reward the outstanding contributions of women scientists working in the fields of science. The Award also is one of the internationally recognized initiatives to support and encourage female STEM graduates, and one of the few selected programs in the Middle East that has created an important platform that helps women succeed and highlight their achievements in the scientific fields.

For her part, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Doha Dr. Anna Paolini congratulated Dr. Isra Marei for winning the the LOreal-UNESCO for Women in Science Middle East Regional Young Talents Program.

She noted that the biggest challenge for women is not the pursuit of excellence in the fields of science, but the pursuit of equal opportunities for leadership and career development, which is very important if the global community wanted to achieve the sustainable development agenda by 2030.

Dr. Isra Marei extended thanks and gratitude to Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science and LOreal-UNESCO for giving her this great opportunity, noting that the Women in Science Middle East Regional Young Talents Program is an initiative that aims at supporting Arab women scientists from the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, contributing to the advancement of scientific research, and highlighting the role of Arab women in the development of science. (QNA)