On the School’s website and social media pages, meet inspiring women who are committed to research with determination and passion. ENS de Lyon pays tribute to their careers, which prove that women have a rightful place in research.
Marie-Cécile Caillaud, CNRS research director at the Plant Reproduction and Development Laboratory (RDP, CNRS/ENS de Lyon/Inrae) has been awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant 2024 for her COMPASS project. Her research combines cell biology, genetics, and biophysics to understand how plant cells orient their division in response to mechanical signals from their neighbors. In 2017, she created the " Cell Division and Lipids" group at ENS de Lyon and became research director in 2023.
Zayna Chaker, CNRS researcher at the Institute of Functional Genomics in Lyon (CNRS/ENS de Lyon) has been awarded a Starting Grant 2024 from the European Research Council (ERC) , which supports young researchers in their innovative projects. Her NSC-CoDEC project explores brain regeneration in mice by studying how neural stem cells from two different niches coordinate to produce new neurons, linking olfactory functions and spatial memory under physiological or pathological conditions.
Marie Delattre is a researcher at the Laboratory of Cell Biology and Modeling (LBMC). She was awarded the CNRS Bronze Medal in 2009. On July 1, 2025, she was elected a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) , which promotes excellence in life sciences in Europe and internationally. Along with the 69 new EMBO members, she will contribute to the organization’s initiatives aimed at supporting researchers at all stages of their careers and promoting scientific collaboration and development.
Christine Détrez, professor of sociology and co-vice president for research at ENS de Lyon since 2023, is interested in the sociology of gender and culture. These themes are also present in her work as a writer, particularly in her books Nos mères. Huguette, Christiane (Éditions La Découverte , 2020) and Pour te ressembler (Denoël , 2021), which trace a history of female emancipation based on a family secret. She recently published a book on the phenomenon of crushes, and her work has led her to study emotions.
Stéphanie Durand, CNRS research fellow at LGL-TPE (Lyon Geology Laboratory: Earth, Planets, Environment), has been awarded the CNRS 2025 bronze medal for her work in seismology. She uses innovative seismic imaging techniques to explore the depths of the Earth and map the Earth’s mantle in 3D using millions of seismic waves. Her research reveals the structure and dynamics of the mantle, highlighting its variations at great depths.
Natacha Gillet is a research fellow at the CNRS at ENS de Lyon’s Chemistry Laboratory. A specialist in modeling biological molecules such as proteins and DNA, she is currently working on issues related to cancer and light-targeted therapies. She is also her laboratory’s gender equality correspondent. With her HisModSim project, she is one of 18 winners of the Émergence 2026 program, which supports innovative projects in chemistry.
An alumna of ENS de Lyon, Sonia Goldblum joined the School in 2023 as a full professor affiliated with IHRIM. She specializes in the history of German ideas from the 18th to the 20th century, with a particular focus on the intellectual history of German Jews. Vice President for Academic Affairs since September 2025, she works to adapt the curriculum to social, ecological, and digital transitions, to develop the diversity of incoming candidates’ profiles, and to promote a variety of career opportunities after graduation from the École Normale Supérieure.
Gwyneth Ingram, CNRS research director and head of the Plant Reproduction and Development Laboratory (CNRS/ENS de Lyon/Inrae) studies how different tissue compartments in seeds communicate to form a coherent structure. This innovative approach was recognized with the CNRS Silver Medal at the CNRS Talents 2025 ceremony.
Clémence Peronnet, a sociologist at Agence Phrare, is the co-author of several books on women in science. One of them, Matheuses: Les filles, avenir des mathématiques (Math Whizzes: Girls, the Future of Mathematics), written with Claire Marc and Olga Paris-Romaskevich, presents the findings of a sociological survey of 45 high school girls and deconstructs gender and social inequalities in access to mathematics and computer science. It received an honorable mention in the 2025 Tangente Book Award.
Les Filles sont parfaites pour les sciences (Girls are Perfect for Science, with Isabelle Vauglin, Anne Haguenauer, and Vincent Moncorgé) was inspired by the La Science taille XXElles exhibitions in Lyon. The book brings together 48 portraits of contemporary women scientists in various disciplines and serves as a source of inspiration for younger generations.
Justine Lascar, a CNRS research engineer at the ICAR laboratory ( CNRS/ Université Lyon 2 /ENS de Lyon), is head of the Audiovisual Engineering Corpus Unit (CIA) and co-head of the Language, Work, and Learning division. The projects she is involved in concern health, museography, games, and professional learning situations. She works in particular on 360° photography and the design of interactive environments, and is interested in scientific mediation through art and new forms of research writing. She is also a member of the steering committee of the RUSHS professional network. She received a collective crystal award from the CNRS for her commitment to this network, launched in 2019 to bring together image and sound professionals in the humanities and social sciences.
Audrey Rieber, alumna of the École normale supérieure de Lyon (class of 2000), agrégée and PhD in Philosophy, was a lecturer at ENS de Lyon and a member of IHRIM from 2015 to 2025. Her work explores the meaning of art. Among her publications are a book on Erwin Panofsky’s theory of images ( L’Harmattan , 2012) and, more recently, Philosopher avec l’histoire de l’art (PUR, 2025) and Le Défi préhistorique. Repenser l’histoire depuis l’art paléolithique (ENS Éditions, 2025), in which she shows how prehistoric productions renew our understanding of history and humanity.
Since September 2025, she has been a professor of aesthetics at U niversité Jean Moulin Lyon 3 and a member of the Institut de recherches philosophiques de Lyon.
Laurence Roulleau-Berger is a sociologist and emeritus research director at the CNRS, Triangle. She was the French director of the CNRS/ENS de Lyon-Chinese Academy of Social Sciences International Associated Laboratory "Post-Western Sociology in Europe and China" (2013-2024). She developed post-Western sociology with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean researchers. She has published more than 30 books and a significant number of articles and journal chapters in the fields of urban, economic, and migration sociology, including the Handbook of Post-Western Sociology. From East Asia to Europe, co-edited with Li, Kim, Yazawa (2023). In 2021, she was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite medal. In 2025, she was appointed Vice-President of the Global China Academy, British Academy.
Kshama Shama is a postdoctoral researcher at the Very High Field NMR Center of Lyon (CNRS/Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1/ENS de Lyon). As part of her research, she is developing a novel method for observing interactions between proteins and adjuvants in vaccines using nuclear magnetic resonance, a cutting-edge technology. Her work has earned her a place among the 34 winners of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards 2025 , which supports young female researchers in their careers.