Kadidiatou Touré, winner of the L’Oréal-UNESCO award

Kadidiatou Touré was born in Bamako, Mali. Whilst at secondary school, news reports about a natural hydrogen deposit located some 60 km from Bamako piqued her curiosity. At the age of 17, she received a scholarship to study geology in Agadir, Morocco, and then at Aix-Marseille University. She is now carrying out her PhD at EPOC (Oceanic and Continental Environments and Palaeoenvironments laboratory, a joint unit of the CNRS, Bordeaux INP, the École Pratique des Hautes Études and the University of Bordeaux) on natural hydrogen, a resource produced naturally by the Earth itself which could become a low-carbon energy source. Committed to young womens’ education, she regularly returns to her former school in Bamako to engage with the pupils there.

What are the key issues in your research and what are its applications?

Kadidiatou Touré: I work on natural hydrogen – the kind that the Earth produces itself underground. Hydrogen is an energy carrier: it is already used in some cars, in industry and to generate electricity. I try to understand how this hydrogen forms, circulates and accumulates underground, and where it can be found. The key question is whether it can accumulate in quantities that can be exploited, like oil. If that is the case, it could become a new resource for diversifying low-carbon energy sources.

Why did you choose a career in science?

K.T.: I’ve always been drawn to science, particularly mathematics. Over time, my interest in Earth sciences grew stronger. At secondary school, a teacher raised our awareness of Africa’s role in the commodities economy, where raw materials are often exported rather than being processed locally. It made me want to learn more about natural resources and promote them. What really cemented this calling was seeing how science could transform an unexplained phenomenon - such as the hydrogen emissions observed near Bamako - into knowledge that benefits society.

Throughout your academic career, have you encountered any difficulties as a woman?
 

K.T.: Yes, one of the difficulties I’ve faced in my career has been gaining access to certain highly technical scientific fields. In some of the countries where I’ve had the opportunity to work, particularly in the mining sector, certain cultural attitudes can still influence the role of women in the field and act as implicit barriers to their presence in these environments. Furthermore, becoming a mother and shouldering this responsibility on my own whilst studying for my PhD was a challenge. It made me realise just how difficult it remains for some young women to balance the demands of research with their personal lives. I was, however, fortunate to be surrounded by caring people, whose support was essential in enabling me to continue with my thesis.

The L’Oréal Foundation, in partnership with the French National Commission for UNESCO and the French Academy of Sciences, presents the annual L’Oréal-UNESCO France Young Talents Awards for Women in Science.

Established in 2007, this programme aims to identify and recognise talented young female researchers.

In 2026, 823 eligible applications were received (498 from female PhD students and 325 from female postdoctoral researchers). Twenty-three female PhD students and twelve female postdoctoral researchers feature on this year’s list of award winners. They will receive grants of 15,000 and 20,000 euros respectively.

(sources for figures and interview: L’Oréal-UNESCO).