Ana Figueira, also a finalist for the Lush Prize, is the only representative from Latin America in the Science category
Researcher Ana Carolina Migliorini Figueira, from CNPEM (Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials), was one of 25 scientists in Latin America honored with the 25 Women in Science Award – 3M. The award recognizes women conducting highly visible, innovative research with social impact focused on industry. Ana Carolina develops alternative methods to animal testing in laboratories and leads the tissue engineering group.
The announcement was made during the online award ceremony held on the morning of February 11, as part of the celebrations of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. In addition to the award, a book featuring the 25 winners and their trajectories in the Latin American scientific landscape will be published.
Using tissue engineering techniques, Ana Carolina and her team develop artificial mini-organs that replicate the human liver and are used to test the toxicity of pharmaceutical molecules that are candidates for new drugs. In this way, they contribute to reducing animal testing.
Her research group at CNPEM is currently in the pilot validation phase of the method, which involves collaborative testing with other laboratories to standardize the protocol, with the goal of achieving international validation. The expectation is that, in the future, the technique will reduce hundreds of animal tests to only a few final assays, while maintaining the safety and efficacy required by regulation.
“This recognition highlights a line of research that brings together cutting-edge science, innovation, and social impact. Our goal is to develop more ethical, efficient, and accessible methodologies that can be widely used by industry and research laboratories. To achieve this, we aim to create tests that are more affordable and have broader applications,” the researcher states.
The work is part of CNPEM’s activities as a hub for innovation in alternative methods within RENAMA (National Network for Alternative Methods), a network coordinated by the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. CNPEM is one of the three national centers in RENAMA, alongside Fiocruz and Inmetro, and is responsible for developing new methodologies and training researchers.
Finalist
In addition to the 3M award, Ana Carolina is also one of 13 finalists for the Lush Prize and the only representative from Latin America in the Science category. Lush is a British natural cosmetics company with global reach. The prize recognizes innovative “animal-free” projects and provides international research funding.
Her selection reflects the broader work carried out by her team at CNPEM in developing alternatives to animal use in research. The winners will be announced in May, and the award ceremony will take place in London.
About CNPEM
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) is home to a state-of-the-art, multi-user and multidisciplinary scientific environment and works on different fronts within the Brazilian National System for Science, Technology and Innovation. A social organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), CNPEM is driven by research that impacts the areas of health, energy, renewable materials, and sustainability. It is responsible for Sirius, the largest assembly of scientific equipment constructed in the country, and is currently constructing Project Orion, a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research. Highly specialized science and engineering teams, sophisticated infrastructure open to the scientific community, strategic lines of investigation, innovative projects involving the productive sector, and training for researchers and students are the pillars of this institution that is unique in Brazil and able to serve as a bridge between knowledge and innovation. CNPEM’s research and development activities are carried out through its four National Laboratories: Synchrotron Light (LNLS), Biosciences (LNBio), Nanotechnology (LNNano), Biorenewables (LNBR), as well as its Technology Unit (DAT) and the Ilum School of Science — an undergraduate program in Science and Technology supported by the Ministry of Education (MEC).
