L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science: Shaping Malaysia’s Next Wave of Female Innovators
From left to right: Dr Tan Lling Lling, Dr Noorfatimah Yahaya, Dr Nurnadiah Zamri, Tomas Hruska (Managing Director L’Oréal Malaysia), Dr Liu Jinyue, Dr Beverly Mok.
Malaysia’s scientific scene is getting a serious glow-up, thanks to the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science (FWIS) programme. Every year, this initiative champions the country’s top female scientists, giving them RM30,000 in funding along with networking and upskilling opportunities to push their research forward.
This year, three rising stars are making waves with projects that tackle some of Malaysia’s most pressing challenges. Noorfatimah Yahaya, Tan Lling-Lling, and Nurnadiah Zamri are not just doing research—they’re creating solutions with real-world impact. From smarter antibiotic dosing to next-level solar energy technology and AI-driven mental health support, their work is changing the game for science in Malaysia.
Tomas Hruska, Managing Director of L’Oréal Malaysia, said, "L’Oréal celebrates our 30th year anniversary in Malaysia this year, showing our continuous commitment in fostering positive changes in the country. Throughout much of this journey, we have been empowering Malaysian women, so we are proud to share that we have supported 60 Malaysian women scientists with over RM1.5 million of endowment since 2006. By supporting these outstanding women, we are not just funding their work, we are investing in the future of science, driving real, sustainable impact in Malaysia, and equipping the next generation of leaders to shape tomorrow’s solutions.”
Noorfatimah Yahaya
Noorfatimah is making big moves in analytical chemistry at Universiti Sains Malaysia. Her focus is on improving the safe use of ampicillin-sulbactam (UNASYN), a key antibiotic for severely ill patients. She’s developed a rapid, eco-friendly plasma microextraction method and paired it with a machine-learning dosing model, making antibiotic dosing smarter and more precise. This could reduce treatment failures, prevent drug toxicity, and fight antimicrobial resistance. With L’Oréal-UNESCO support, Noorfatimah is bringing her innovation into hospitals, aiming to launch Malaysia’s first therapeutic drug monitoring service for UNASYN. Her goal is to connect analytical science with clinical care for safer treatments and better patient outcomes.
Tan Lling-Lling
Lling-Lling is taking solar energy research to the next level. As a materials scientist, she works on photocatalysis, which turns sunlight into usable fuels like hydrogen and methane. Her day-night photocatalyst system stores energy during the day and produces solar fuels at night. This breakthrough could cut Malaysia’s reliance on fossil fuels while supporting clean energy goals locally and globally. The L’Oréal-UNESCO programme is helping Lling-Lling push her research further, making sustainable energy solutions more achievable than ever.
Nurnadiah Zamri
Nurnadiah blends mathematics and AI to tackle mental health challenges in Malaysia. Her hybrid AI mental health chatbot combines early emotional screening, CBT-based self-help tools, and culturally sensitive teletherapy matching. By overcoming the limits of traditional mental health research, her project aims to make mental health support scalable and accessible in workplaces and communities. With the backing of L’Oréal-UNESCO, Nurnadiah is shaping the future of digital mental health, proving how math and AI can make a real difference while inspiring the next generation of women in STEM.
Through initiatives like FWIS, Fondation L’Oréal is not just funding research—it’s driving long-term change. By empowering women scientists, the programme strengthens Malaysia’s scientific community, promotes gender equality in STEM, and ensures that the next wave of female innovators has the tools to make a lasting impact.
For more information about the For Women in Science programme, visit L’Oréal Fondation.
