UFPR project recreates historic 1926 Marie Curie photo in Rio de Janeiro

On 27 July, researchers from the University Federal do Paraná’s “Meninas e Mulheres nas Ciências” project gathered at the Pão de Açúcar in Rio de Janeiro to recreate the photograph taken during Marie Curie’s 1926 visit to Brazil. The centennial event brought together about 50 women scientists from various institutions to pose in the same spot as Curie and her entourage, highlighting the legacy of the pioneering physicist‑chemist who remains the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different fields.

Project coordinator Camila Silveira said the reenactment celebrated the “existence, resistance and professional competence” of women researchers and aimed to spark discussion on how to expand and value girls’ and women’s participation in science. Student Polyana Mercer, a chemistry under‑graduate, reflected that the experience linked past and present, noting that Curie’s courage in occupying denied spaces continues to inspire new generations of Brazilian women scientists.