List of female scientists in the 21st century

This is a list of notable women scientists who have been active in the 21st century.

Argentina

• Sonia Álvarez Leguizamón (born 1954) urban anthropologist studying poverty
• Zulma Brandoni de Gasparini (born 1944), Argentine paleontologist and zoologist
• Constanza Ceruti (born 1973), Argentine archaeologist and anthropologist
• Rachel Chan (graduated 1988), led group of research scientists to create more drought resistant seed in Argentina
• Perla Fuscaldo (born 1941), Argentine egyptologist

Armenia

• Vandika Ervandovna Avetisyan (born 1928) botanist and mycologist; major contributor to knowledge of the flora of her native Armenia.

Australia

• Anne Astin (graduated 1976), biochemist active in dairy development
• Katherine Belov (born 1973), Australian geneticist, Tasmanian devil cancer researcher
• Suzanne Cory (born 1942), Australian molecular biologist
• Jean Finnegan, Australian scientist, researches flowering processes and epigenetic regulation in plants
• Naomi McClure-Griffiths, American-Australian astrophysicist. Discovered a new arm of the Milky Way galaxy
• Jessica Melbourne-Thomas, (graduated 2002), marine ecologist and ecosystem modeller with the Australian Antarctic Division
• Sue O'Connor Australian archaeologist, discovered the world's oldest fish hooks which were found in an adult female's grave
• Una M. Ryan, (1966) patented DNA test identifying the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium
• Helen Alma Newton Turner (1908–1995), geneticist and statistician, expert on sheep genetics
• Carden Wallace (fl. 1970–), marine biologist and museum director, expert on corals
• Rachel Webster (born 1951), astrophysicist, educator
• Mary E. White (born 1926), paleobotanist

Austria

• Elisabeth Binder (graduated 1995), Austrian neuroscientist specializing in anxiety disorders
• Claire F. Gmachl (born 1967), Austrian-born American electrical engineer, educator
• Lisa Kaltenegger (graduated 1999), Austrian astronomer, educator
• Christine Mannhalter (born 1948), molecular biologist
• Elisabeth Ruttkay (1926-2009), Austrian Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeologist
• Eva Schönbeck-Temesy (1930-2011) Hungarian-born Austrian botanist

Barbados

• Velma Scantlebury, (1955) first woman of African descent to become a transplant surgeon in the U.S.

Belgium

• Ingrid Daubechies (born 1954), Belgian physicist and mathematician
• Véronique Gouverneur (born 1964), chemist, educator, specializing in organic fluorine compounds
• Yaël Nazé, Belgian astrophysicist specializing in massive stars

Bolivia

• Sonia Alconini (born 1965), Bolivian archaeologist of the Formative Period of the Lake Titicaca basin
• Kathrin Barboza Marquez (born 1983), Bolivian biologist specializing in bat research

Brazil

• Mariza Corrêa (born 1945), anthropologist, sociologist
• Fátima Ferreira (born 1959), biologist, physician, educator, now vice-rector at the University of Salzburg specializing in molecular allergology
• Dorath Pinto Uchôa (1947-2014), archaeologist
• Lúcia Mendonça Previato (born 1949), biologist
• Alba Zaluar (born 1942), anthropologist specializing in urban anthropology

Canada

• Karen Bailey, plant pathology
• Karen Beauchemin, ruminant nutrition research
• Roberta Bondar (born 1945), neurologist, astronaut, educator
• Martine Dorais, plant physiology, organic horticulture
• Laura Ferrarese, astronomer
• Roberta Gilchrist (born 1965), Canadian archaeologist specializing in medieval Britain
• Julia Levy (born 1934), microbiologist, immunologist, entrepreneur
• Mary MacArthur, botanist, cytologist
• Deborah Martin-Downs, aquatic biologist, ecologist
• Diane Massam, linguist
• Elizabeth Pattey, agricultural meteorologist
• Isabella Preston, horticulturalist
• Heather Pringle, writer on archaeology
• Kathleen I. Pritchard (born 1956), oncologist, breast cancer researcher and noted as one of Reuter's most cited scientists
• Line Rochefort, Canadian ecologist
• Francine Saillant (born 1953), anthropologist, writer
• Sandra Schmid (born 1958), cell biologist
• Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein, animal ethologist
• Felicitas Svejda (born 1920), horticulturalist
• Sandra Witelson, neuroscientist
• Rachel Zimmerman, Canadian-born space scientist

Chile

• Ligia Gargallo, chemist, educator
• Veronica Vallejos, marine biologist and Antarctic researcher
• Ana Vásquez-Bronfman (1931-2009) Chilean-French sociologist

China

• Margaret Chan (born 1947), Chinese (Hong Kong) health specialist, director-general of the World Health Organization
• Zeng Rong, biochemist specializing in proteins
• Jian Xu, CTO at IBM, software engineer
• Zhao Yufen (born 1948), chemical engineer
• Qian Zhengying (born 1923), Chinese hydrologist and politician
• Lü Zhi (born 1965), giant panda expert and conservationist

Colombia

• Anna Maria Groot (born 1952), Columbian archaeologist
• Diana Marcela Bolaños Rodriguez (born 1981), marine biologist studying flat worms and stem cell regeneration

Croatia

• Nina Marković, physicist and professor

Cuba

• Herminia Ibarra, economist

Czech Republic

• Eva Syková (born 1944), neuroscientist researching spinal cord injury

Denmark

• Anja Cetti Andersen (born 1965), astronomer, astrophysicist
• Lene Hau (born 1959), physicist
• Signe Normand (born 1979), biologist, ecologist, educator

Dominican Republic

• Idelisa Bonnelly (1931-), Dominican Republic marine biologist who created first sanctuary in the North Atlantic for humpback whales

France

• Anne Dejean-Assémat (born 1957), biologist researching liver cancer
• Mireille Bousquet-Mélou (born 1967), mathematician
• Catherine Feuillet (1965-), French molecular biologist who was the first scientist to map the wheat chromosome 3B
• Françoise Gasse (1942–2014), paleobiologist specializing in lacustrine sediments
• Laurence Lanfumey (born 1945), French neuroscientist
• Dominique Langevin (born 1947), physical chemist
• Claudine Rinner (born 1965), amateur astronomer
• Aurore Avarguès-Weber (born 1983), cognitive neuroscientist

Germany

• Andrea Ablasser (born 1983), German immunologist working in Switzerland
• Katrin Amunts (born 1962), prominent neuroscientist involved in brain mapping.
• Ulrike Beisiegel (born 1952), German biochemist, researcher of liver fats and first female president of the University of Göttingen
• Sibylle Günter (born 1964), theoretical physicist researching tokamak plasmas
• Hanna von Hoerner (1942–2014), astrophysicist
• Eva-Maria Neher (born 1950), German biochemist, microbiologist
• Nina Papavasiliou, immunologist
• Elisabeth Piirainen (born 1943), philologist
• Ilme Schlichting (born 1960), biophysicist
• Brigitte Voit (born 1963), chemist

Guadeloupe

• Dany Bébel-Gisler (1935-2003), Guadeloupean sociolinguist and ethnographer

India

• Joyanti Chutia (born 1948), work spans both centuries, focusing on physics
• Seetha Coleman-Kammula (born 1950-) Indian chemist and plastics designer, turned environmentalist
• Paramjit Khurana (born 1956), Indian biologist specializing in plant biotechnology
• Shobhana Narasimhan (graduated 1983), Indian physicist, professor of theoretical sciences in Bangalore
• Priyamvada Natarajan (graduated 1993), Indian-born American astronomer, educator
• Manju Ray (graduated 1969), Indian biochemist developing anticancer drugs

Iran

• Maryam Mirzakhani, (1977-2017) was an Iranian-American mathematician and a professor of mathematics at Stanford University.
• Saba Valadkhan Born:1974,Tehran Education:Columbia University an Iranian American biomedical scientist,and an Assistant Professor and RNA researcher at Case Western Reserve University.
• Ālenush Teriān, (1920-2011) was an Iranian-Armenian astronomer and physicist and is called 'Mother of Modern Iranian Astronomy'.
• Mina J. Bissell is an Iranian-American biologist known for her research on breast cancer.
• Pardis C. Sabeti is an Iranian-American computational biologist, medical geneticist and evolutionary geneticist.
• Roxana Moslehi, Ph.D. is a genetic epidemiologist. Most of her research is dedicated to the study of cancer and cancer precursors
• Anousheh Ansari (Born: September 12, 1966, Mashhad) is an Iranian-American engineer and co-founder and chairwoman of Prodea Systems.
• Reihaneh Safavi-Naini is the AITF Strategic Chair in Information Security at the University of Calgary, Canada

Iraq

• Lihadh Al-Gazali (graduated 1973), geneticist, established a registry for congenital disorders in the United Arab Emirates

Israel

• Osnat Penn, Israeli computational biologist
• Ada Yonath (born 1939), Israeli crystallographer
• Idit Zehavi (born 1969), Israeli astrophysicist

Italy

• Maria Abbracchio (born 1956), Italian pharmacologist who works with purinergic receptors and identified GPR17. On Reuter's most cited list since 2006.
• Daria Guidetti, astrophysicist with the INAF.
• Chiara Nappi (graduated 1976), Italian particle physicist active in the US
• Elisa Oricchio (born 1979), discovered that the protein EphA7 activates the tumor suppressor gene for patients with follicular lymphoma

Latvia

• Emīlija Gudriniece (1920-2004), Latvian chemist and academic

Luxembourg

• Christiane Linster (born 1962), behavioral neuroscientist

Morocco

• Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli, (born 1954), known for her contribution to the proof of existence for the Higgs Boson.

Netherlands

• Corinne Hofman (born 1959) Dutch archaeologist
• Tine Tammes, (born 1871), Used statistics and probability theory to shed light on the inheritance of genetic traits in plants.
• Johanna Westerdijk

New Zealand

• Margaret Brimble, (born 1961), chemist, researching shellfish toxins.
• Gillian Wratt, (born 1954), botanist and Antarctic researcher.

Nigeria

• Taiwo Olayemi Elufioye, pharmacologist
• Eucharia Oluchi Nwaichi, environmental biochemist, Oréal-Unesco award in 2013
• Grace Oladunni Taylor, Nigerian chemist, 2nd woman inducted into the Nigerian Academy of Science
• Omowunmi Sadik (born 1964), chemist, educator

Norway

• Tine Jensen (born 1957), psychologist specializing in psychological trauma

Peru

• Virginia Vargas (born 1945), sociologist, writer

Portugal

• Mónica Bettencourt-Dias (born 1974) biochemist and microbiologist

Russia

• Eugenia Kumacheva, Russian-born chemist, since 1995 teaching in Canada

Saudi Arabia

• Suhad Bahajri (graduated 1975), chemist
• Samira Islam (active since 1971), pharmacologist, educator

Serbia

• Nataša Pavlović (graduated 1996), mathematician

Singapore

• Gloria Lim (1930-), Singaporean mycologist, first woman Dean of the University of Singapore
• Lisa Ng, virologist

South Africa

• Valerie Mizrahi (born 1958), molecular biologist
• Tebello Nyokong (born 1951), South African chemist and cancer researcher
• Jennifer Thomson (born 1947), microbiologist

Spain

• Mercedes Fernández-Martorell (born 1948), anthropologist, educator
• María José García Borge (born 1956), nuclear physicist
• Carme Torras (born 1956), computer scientist specialising in robotics
• Carmen Vela (born 1955), Spanish microbiologist, ministerial official, writer

South Korea

• Ju-Lee Kim (graduated 1991), mathematician, educator, now in the United States
• Myeong-Hee Yu (born 1954), South Korean microbiologist

Switzerland

• Anita Studer, ornithologist and environmentalist

Taiwan

• Chung-Pei Ma (born 1966), astrophysicist, now in the United States

Turkey

• Ayşe Erzan (born 1949), theoretical physicist

Ukraine

• Svitlana Mayboroda (born 1981), mathematician, educator, researching harmonic analysis and partial differential equations

United Kingdom

• Denise P. Barlow (1950–2017), British geneticist
• Gillian Bates, British botanist, educator, Fellow of the Royal Society (2007)
• Alex Bayliss British archaeologist
• Sue Black (born 1962), British computer scientist
• Jocelyn Bell Burnell (born 1943) astrophysicist who discovered radio pulsars
• A. Catrina Bryce (born 1956), Scottish electrical engineer, educator
• Mandy Chessell (born c.1965), British computer scientist with IBM
• Jenny Clack (born 1947), paleontologist, expert on the "fish to tetrapod" evolutionary transition
• Bryony Coles (born 1946) British prehistoric archaeologist
• Janet Darbyshire, British epidemiologist, CBE (2010)
• Shahina Farid, British archaeologist, best known for her work as Field Director and Project Coordinator at the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in Turkey.
• Jane Goodall, British primatologist and anthropologist
• Emily Grossman, British cancer researcher and science popularist
• Helena Hamerow, British archeologist and specialist in medieval archaeology
• Joanne Johnson (born 1977), geologist, Antarctic scientist
• Rachel McKendry (born 1973), chemist and digital public health pioneer
• Linda McDowell (born 1949), British geographer, writer
• Jane E. Parker (born 1960), British botanist who researches the immune responses of plants
• Emma Parmee, British chemist who was one of the leads in the discovery and development of sitagliptin
• Margaret Stanley, British virologist, OBE (2004)
• Jean Thomas (born 1942), Welsh biochemist, educator
• Miriam Tildesley (1883–1979), English anthropologist
• Karen Vousden (born 1957), British medical researcher
• Christine Williams (graduated 1973), British nutritionist, educator

United States

• Athena Aktipis, (born c.1981) American professor of evolutionary biology and psychology
• Alice Alldredge, (born 1949) American oceanographer and researcher of marine snow, discover of Transparent Exopolymer Particles (TEP) and demersal zooplankton
• Lera Boroditsky (born c.1976), Belarusian-American cognitive scientist
• Stephanie Burns (born 1955), organosilicon chemist, business executive
• Joy Crisp (graduated 1979), American planetary scientist
• Sylvia Earle (born 1935), marine biologist, explorer, author, and lecturer
• Debra Elmegreen (born 1952), astronomer, educator
• Deborah Estrin (born 1959), American computer scientist, educator
• Sandra Faber (born 1944), American professor of astronomy
• Pamela Gay (born 1973), American astronomer
• Candace S. Greene (graduated 1976), American anthropologist, National Museum of Natural History
• Jane Grimwood, microbiologist, from 2000 worked on the Human Genome Project at Stanford
• Martha P. Haynes (born 1951), American astronomer specializing in radio astronomy
• Gail Hanson (born 1947), American experimental particle physicist, educator
• Gabriele C. Hegerl (born 1962), climatologist researching natural variability and attribution of climate change
• Patricia Hersh (graduated 1995), mathematician, educator, researching algebraic and topological combinatorics
• Valerie Horsley, American biologist
• Shirley Ann Jackson (born 1946), American nuclear physicist
• Alice K. Jacobs, American cardiologist, president of the American Heart Association (2004)
• Karen C. Johnson (1955-) American physician and clinical trials specialist who is one of Reuter's most cited scientists
• Rosemary Joyce (1956), American archaeologist who uncovered chocolate's archaeological record and studies Honduran pre-history
• Renata Kallosh (born 1943), Russian-born American theoretical physicist, educator
• Dina Katabi (born 1971), professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT
• Ann Kiessling (born 1942), American reproductive biologist, educator
• Maria Kovacs, psychologist, educator
• Cynthia Larive, American bioanalytical chemist
• Nataša Pavlović, psychologist
• J. Virginia Lincoln (1915–2003), physicist
• Mariangela Lisanti (born 1983), American theoretical physicist
• Anna Suk-Fong Lok, Chinese/American hepatologist, wrote WHO and AASLD guidelines for emergine countries and liver disease
• Catherine A. Lozupone (born 1975), American microbiologist, working on the gut microbiome, who developed the UniFrac algorithm
• Silvia Maciá (active since 1999), marine biologist
• Carolyn M. Mazure (born 1949), medical researcher
• Sally McBrearty American palaeoanthropologist and Palaeolithic archaeologist
• Lucy-Ann McFadden (born 1952), astronomer
• Jill Mikucki (graduated 1996), microbiologist, Antarctic researcher
• Marianne V. Moore (graduated 1975), aquatic ecologist
• Yolanda T. Moses (born 1946), anthropologist, educator
• Alison Murray (scientist) (graduated 1989), biochemist, Antarctic researcher
• Anna Nagurney (active since 1996), Ukrainian-American mathematician specializing in operations management
• Ann Nelson (born 1958), American particle physicist
• Anne B. Newman (born 1955), US Geriatrics & Gerontology expert
• Lina Nilsson, Biomedical Engineering
• Karen Oberhauser (born ca 1956), conservation biologist working with monarch butterflies
• E. Gail de Planque (1944–2010), nuclear physicist specializing in environmental radiation
• Eva J. Pell (born 1948), American biologist, plant pathologist
• Carolyn Porco (born 1953), American planetary scientist
• Helen Quinn (born 1943), Australian-born American particle physicist
• Lisa Randall (born 1962), American particle physicist, educator
• Una Ryan, (born 1941), Malaysian born-American, heart disease researcher, biotech vaccine and diagnostics maker/marketer
• Omowunmi Sadik, Nigerian-born chemist, Bioanalytical chemistry
• Linda Saif (graduated 1969), American microbial scientist, researching virology and immunology
• Sandra Saouaf, American immunologist researching autoimmune disease
• Velma Scantlebury see Barbados
• Hazel Schmoll (1890–1990), American botanist
• Christine Siddoway (1961), Antarctic geologist
• Caroline M. Solomon, deaf oceanographer and winner of the 2017 Ramón Margalef Award for Excellence in Education
• Linda Spilker (born 1955), American planetary scientist
• Sharon Stocker, known for discovery of Griffin Warrior Tomb
• Jill Tarter (born 1944), American astronomer, educator
• Elizabeth C. Theil (graduated 1962), research into iron deficiency anemia
• Kay Tye (born c. 1981), American neuroscientist
• Lydia Villa-Komaroff (born 1947), American molecular biologist
• Elisabeth Vrba (born 1942), American paleontologist
• Nora Volkow (born 1956), Mexican-American psychiatrist
• Elizabeth M. Ward, American epidemiologist and head of the Epidemiology and Surveillance Research Department of the American Cancer Society
• Christina Warinner, American anthropologist best known for her research on ancient microbiomes
• Petra Wilder-Smith (born 1958), American dentistry and cancer researcher
• Phyllis Wise (graduated 1967), American biologist, educator
• Catherine G. Wolf (born 1947), American psychologist specializing in human-computer interaction
• Kakani Katija Young (born 1983), American bioengineer
• Hua Eleanor Yu, Cancer researcher
• Rachel Zimmerman, Canadian-born space scientist
• Maria Zuber (born 1958), American planetary scientist
• Lydia Darragh

Venezuela

• Mayly Sánchez (born ca. 1975) astrophysicist studying neutrinos, awarded the US PECASE Prize in 2011

Vietnam

• Phạm Thị Trân Châu (born 1938), biochemist
• Hoang Thi Than (born 1944), Vietnamese geological engineer and archaeologist

Zimbabwe

• Idah Sithole-Niang (born 1957), biochemist focusing on cowpea production and disease

See also

• 21st-century women scientists
• Lists of women scientists
• Women scientists by century