Meet the first woman to win the most prestigious prize in maths

Meet Professor Maryam Mirzakhani. The Stanford University academic has just become the first woman to win the Fields Medal, the most prestigious prize in mathematics, for her work on complex geometry.

The prize was established in 1936 and is awarded every four years. Professor Mirzakhani said the award was "a great honour", adding: "I will be happy if it encourages young female scientists and mathematicians."

Professor Mirzakhani grew up and went to university in Tehran, before doing her PhD at Harvard University.