Dr Pip Karoly receives L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award

Dr Pip Karoly
The fellowship recognises and supports early-career women scientists with financial funding, professional training, exposure and engagement. Image: L'Oréal Australia.

Dr Pip Karoly from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (FEIT) has been named as one of five recipients of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award for 2021.

Dr Karoly is a senior research fellow with a degree in biomedical engineering, and holds a fascination with long-term rhythms of brain activity and its relationship to our health.

Dr Karoly is currently piloting a world-first mobile and wearable app to help people with epilepsy track their unique "seizure cycles" and forecast their chance of having a seizure.

Dr Karoly believes this will be part of the next generation of sophisticated wearable devices, which will track the cyclic behaviour of disease and disorders, and said: “Understanding why people experience slow cycles of seizure risk (over weekly, monthly and longer time scales) is fascinating,"

“With an industry partner (MedTech company, Seer) I’ve been able to translate my research discoveries into technology that helps people with epilepsy manage their seizures. The L’Oreal-UNESCO fellowship will support the next stage to uncover individual risk factors for epileptic seizures.” Dr Karloy said.

Dr Karoly is also excited to showcase what a scientific career entails to other women and girls: “I had no idea when I was in high school, so I hope to be that kind of visible role model for other women considering science careers. It is exciting and meaningful.”

The prestigious L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award fellowship, awarded in Australia and New Zealand since 2007, recognises and supports early-career women scientists with financial funding, professional training, exposure and engagement.