• Research

Mélissa Macalli, recipient of the L'Oréal-UNESCO award

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The University of Bordeaux post-doctoral fellow working in the Healthy team at the Bordeaux Population Health (BPH) research centre is one of 35 Young Talent award-winners to receive the 2024 L'Oréal-UNESCO Prize for Women in Science. Her research focuses on the detection of suicidal behaviour in young adults.

Photo : Mélissa Macalli is the winner of a 20,000 € Young Talent grant © Fondation L'Oréal - UNESCO
Mélissa Macalli is the winner of a 20,000 € Young Talent grant © Fondation L'Oréal - UNESCO

After over ten years as a nurse, Mélissa Macalli joined the Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors Without Bordeaux) non-governmental organisation as a humanitarian project coordinator. She then resumed her studies in order to integrate a public health approach into her professional projects. This led her to join the Bordeaux Population Health research centre (BPH - Inserm and University of Bordeaux), where she worked on the subject of suicidal behaviour among students. The relevance of her research is underlined by its context: her doctoral thesis was conducted in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been associated with an overall deterioration in the mental health of young people. Mélissa is currently continuing her research as a post-doctoral fellow in the same laboratory.

What are the implications of your research and its applications?

The short-term challenge is to better understand and detect suicidal behaviour in young adults, particularly students. I study the determinants of such behaviour - substance use, quality of sleep and physical activity for example - which, in the longer term, could be used to develop and evaluate preventive measures. One of the applications of my research concerns the creation of an early detection and prevention system of psychological distress and suicidal behaviour. This could be offered on entry to university, thereby facilitating access to care for those who need it.

Why did you choose a career in science?

Pursuing my career in research has enabled me to integrate a complete understanding of health and social problems into my professional projects, and to position myself no longer on an individual scale but rather on a population scale. With a view to improving health for all, I wanted to combine my clinical experience with an evidence-based scientific approach.

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

The main difficulty is certainly having to reconcile returning to university, a research career and family life. I'm inevitably less available for late meetings or certain events. But the support I received from my family, my team and my thesis supervisor, who always gave me a great deal of organisational flexibility, enabled me to overcome these difficulties.

I appreciate the fact that my public health research allows me to envisage practical applications for the health of young people.

Mélissa Macalli

Every year, the L'Oréal Foundation, in partnership with the French National UNESCO Commission and the French Academy of Sciences, presents the L'Oréal-UNESCO Young Talents France awards for Women in Science.

Created in 2007, the aim of this programme is to reveal and reward talented young female researchers.

In 2024, 771 eligible applications were received (537 doctoral candidates and 234 post-doctoral candidates). 20 doctoral and 15 post-doctoral candidates are among this year's winners, selected by a jury chaired by Alain Fischer, President of the French Academy of Sciences.
The winners receive grants of 15,000 € and 20,000 € respectively.

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