The Root Of The Science Podcasts: Recent Episodes
Anne Chisa
The Root of the Science Podcasts airs Monday biweekly. Hosted by Anne Chisa aka Anne with an E. This show has interviews with guests involved in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) . The purpose of the podcasts is to highlight #AfricansInSTEM across the globe and give them the opportunity to tell their stories in their own voice (literally) about their research or projects. We find out why they are in the STEM field (the ROOT of their science) and have in depth conversations about the individual away from the science. Lastly, by bringing the podcasts into mainstream media, the hope is to inspire others to get into STEM as well as those who are already in the field to persevere and strive for more after hearing about the prospects available from my guests. For the"non-STEM" people this podcast is also for you. You will be afforded the opportunity to broaden your horizon and you will learn something new, guaranteed from each episode! Disclaimer: The views expressed by the guests in this podcasts do not reflect my own Follow on Twitter & Instagram : @RootofSciPodFacebook group : The Root of the Science Podcasts
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Stories that move people deserve a wider audience. We open 2026 by bringing the team together to look back at the moments that stayed with us, the ideas that challenged us, and how we plan to grow African science stories this year.
From neglected tropical diseases to health funding cuts, we unpack why some conversations travelled further than others: real people, real consequences, and science that connects with everyday life.
Health shaped much of the year. We balance that weight with lessons from agriculture and food security: beekeeping for stronger ecosystems, turning invasive plants into renewable energy, and moringa farmers building value chains that support families.
Education and collaboration point us forward. A STEM programme for high school girls stood out for its confidence and creativity, showing that the future of African science is already in our classrooms.
If these stories matter to you, follow the show, share this episode with someone who should hear it, and leave a review to help others find us.
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Imagine turning any safe space: under a tree, in a hall, or a small classroom, into a working chemistry lab. That’s the promise of the CIA kit from Chemistry in Action.
We engage Viloshnee Singh, the CEO of V4 Group and founder of Chemistry in Action to unpack how a simple, affordable tool can improve science education across Africa.
We talk about the access gap in STEM, why so many learners experience science only in textbooks, and what it takes to bring real experiments to schools without labs, electricity, or internet.
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Half the world lives at risk of at least one neglected tropical disease, yet these illnesses remain underfunded, misunderstood, and hidden behind stigma.
Our host, Anne Chisa, speaks with public health practitioner Michael Ofire to unpack what “neglect” really means, how NTDs entrench poverty and how policy, primary care, and community action can break the cycle.
Michael Ofire shares practical wins, funding ideas, and a hopeful path to 2030 through African-led research and partnerships.
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When we think of bees, we rarely imagine them meeting technology. Yet for Albert Mutangiri, a lifelong beekeeper and CEO of Blue Bean Software, innovation and nature go hand in hand.
In this episode of the Root of the Science Podcast, host Anne Chisa explores HivePulse, a smart monitoring system that uses sensors and data analytics to track hive health, boost pollination, and strengthen food security.
Albert shares how his passion for beekeeping led to creating a globally used agri-tech platform that’s reshaping sustainable farming.
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Imagine walking 50km to see a doctor versus getting treated from your phone. In Kenya, there’s just one doctor for every 5,000 people, far below the WHO’s recommended standard. Long queues, high costs, and staff shortages make access difficult.
In this episode of Rooted in Health II, Anne Chisa speaks with Dr. Karl Daniel, a medical doctor and healthcare entrepreneur, on how TIBU Health’s hybrid model is making healthcare accessible through in-person care, pharmacies, mobile clinics, and telemedicine.
Key issues covered:
Challenges in Kenya’s healthcare system and the impact of COVID-19
How TIBU Health integrates teleconsultation, pharmacies, and clinics
Building trust in digital health and adapting to cultural realities
Partnerships, insurance, and scaling across Kenya and beyond
Dr. Daniel’s 10-year vision for healthcare in Africa
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Maboang Matlou, founder of Lefakong Farm, shares her journey transforming a family farm into a thriving moringa enterprise that addresses nutrition, climate change and economic development simultaneously.
Maboang's story is a masterclass in agricultural innovation and perseverance. Get started with moringa farming by listening to Maboang explain the research, planning your market strategy, planting, and maintaining consistency.
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What if the future of African agriculture lies not in expensive technology, but in understanding the hidden genetic code of livestock that have survived drought, disease, and harsh conditions for generations?
Dr. Keabetswe Ncube takes us on a journey into agrigenomics - the science of using genetics to improve crops and livestock for healthier, stronger farming systems.
From her childhood in Pella Village, bottle-feeding orphaned goats to founding her own agricultural services company, Dr. Kea explains the relationship between cutting-edge science and traditional farming wisdom.
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What happens when life-saving funding disappears? How do healthcare systems adapt? Can domestic resources fill the gap?
The sudden freeze of US aid disbursements in January sent shockwaves through healthcare systems across Africa. Six months later, what was once a policy announcement has turned into a devastating reality for millions who depend on life-saving HIV and TB services.
Stepping into the aftermath of these cuts, we explore the human cost behind the headlines, through conversations with those on the frontlines.
Today we hear from Dr. Limpho Ramangoaela, who witnesses patients presenting later with preventable complications. George Mbombi, a technical advisor who lost his job in the cuts, describes how youth support programs have collapsed. Tabita Ntuli from UNAIDS shares how people living with HIV have been affected.
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With the continent's population projected to reach 2.6 billion by 2050, food production must increase by 70% amidst growing challenges from climate.
Valentine Emmanuel, a Nigerian agricultural scientist, shares his innovative approach to solving Africa's food security challenges through sustainable farming techniques and entrepreneurship.
Valentine's research on the cyclone nutrient economy repurposes treated wastewater for hydroponic farming, to make this farming system affordable for all.
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What if the ground beneath your feet could tell you exactly when our ancestors walked the Earth?
Dr. Tebogo Makhubela, a geologist from Soweto and a recent National Geographic Wayfinder Award winner, followed his scientific passion and is now uncovering these ancient stories as a National Geographic Explorer.
This conversation takes us from when he bravely chose geology without financial backing despite pressure to pursue more conventional careers, to his work dating fossils at South Africa's Cradle of Humankind.
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When 50 girls from underprivileged communities gathered at the Dream Women in STEM Technovation Summit in Durban, something big happened.
In just three days, these young innovators became creators, inventors and problem-solvers who dared to reimagine their worlds and their futures.
The summit challenged participants to develop solutions addressing real community problems through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The result was innovations that showcased technical brilliance and deep compassion for social issues.
Ready to learn how the next generation of female innovators is already building solutions for tomorrow's challenges? Click the listen button!
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What happens when passion meets purpose in the world of medical data? Dr. Okechinyere Achilonu takes us through her journey in the evolving landscape of biostatistics in Africa.
She reveals how this often-overlooked field serves as the backbone of health research across the continent.
Born in Nigeria, Dr Okechi is currently a lecturer and biostatistician at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. She also shares the impact of the Sub-Saharan Africa Advanced Consortium for Biostatistics (SACAB) on her career.
Speaking about data and research, have you heard about Jenni AI, a research assistant that can write, cite and edit? Try it for any academic research related work and notice the difference!
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What happens when African scientists tackle our continent's most pressing challenges?
The May 2025 edition of our News Roundup, the first release under this segment, majorly focuses on innovation in health.
The first is an AI-powered, solar-powered device that diagnoses Malaria and dispenses medicine.
We also talk about Ghana's Yamachi Biotech and their creation of Africa's largest cancer genomic database.
Our conservation segment unveils a wildlife trafficking crisis, which involves pangolins.
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On this Africa Day podcast, five African science communicators discuss their role in amplifying authentic African research voices.
They explore how digital platforms are transforming science communication across the continent.
From immunology and plant science to scholarly communication and mentorship platforms, these podcasters share their journeys of creating digital spaces where authentic African scientific voices can thrive.
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What if the invasive plants ravaging African agriculture could become part of the solution to our energy crisis? In this conversation, researcher Bongiwe Mtshali reveals her innovative work converting problematic alien plant species into valuable renewable energy resources.
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In this episode, Dr. Rachel Mkandawire shares her journey from plant pathology to agricultural policy.
With degrees in crop science, plant nematology, and a PhD in plant pathology, Rachel brings unique scientific insights to her work at the Food Agriculture Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN).
She explains how her work at FANRPAN is transforming food systems across Southern Africa through participatory farmer research and evidence-based policy making.
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Tuberculosis remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases globally, claiming approximately 3,400 lives daily.
On this World TB Day episode, We speak with Professor Leigh Fairley, Director of Maternal and Child Health at Wits RHI and Associate Professor at the University of Witwatersrand, about groundbreaking research that could transform TB prevention.
As a key figure in the M72 trial, she discusses the M72 trial, its significance in the fight against TB and the potential impact the vaccine will have in South Africa.
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Nearly 19 million children in Southern Africa face stunting, while over 40 million people experience food insecurity annually. What drives these alarming statistics and how can we address them effectively?
Professor Kennedy Dzama, who leads the Southern Africa Food Lab at Stellenbosch University, offers profound insights into this critical issue.
He talks about the interconnectedness of climate change and food security, the establishment of the Southern Africa Food Lab and how it uses research and collaboration to address food insecurity.
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In this episode, Dr. Charles Takalana, Deputy Director of the Office of Astronomy for Development and Interim Head of Secretariat for the African Astronomical Society, shares how Africa is advancing in the fields of space science and astronomy research.
Dr. Takalana also highlights the society's work in building a strong astronomical community across Africa since its revival in 2019. Key initiatives include supporting young scientists, addressing misconceptions about astronomy, and emphasising its deep historical roots in African indigenous knowledge.
If you're interested in astronomy or want to start astronomy clubs in your community, reach out to the African Astronomical Society for support and resources at www.africanastronomicalsociety.org
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How did we transform from a single podcast into a dynamic media platform that is promoting African voices in STEM on the global stage? Join Anne Chisa, our Founding Director in this exclusive release of where we started and where we are going.
Our commitment is to spark even bigger conversations, thanks to our incredible team and the support from our listeners, guests, and partners.
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Ever wondered how African researchers are shaping the global scientific narrative? Today, we celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Root of the Science podcast with a special collaborative episode featuring Joy Owango, the founding director of TCC Africa.
As we discuss the necessity for a multidisciplinary approach and the growing demand for digital accessibility, Joy and I tackle the strategic challenges of effectively navigating today's digital platforms, exploring how to leverage them for impactful engagement.
Together, we delve into the transformative trends in science communication and technology that are reshaping the way research is shared, consumed, and understood.
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In our final episode this year, we spoke with Jenn Gardy (Deputy Director, Malaria Surveillance, Data & Epidemiology, Gates Foundation) and Susan Rumisha (Principal Research Scientist and Lead, Malaria Atlas Project, Dar Node), to unlock the secrets to eradicating malaria by 2030.
They discuss the innovative approaches and daunting challenges in the ongoing battle against malaria. From preventive strategies like environmental modifications and dual active-ingredient (AI) insecticide-treated bed nets to addressing cultural and healthcare access gaps, our discussion paints a comprehensive picture of the current landscape and future directions.
We also reflect on the insights from the 2024 World Malaria Report, emphasizing the pressing need for increased funding to drive these global efforts forward.
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What does it take for Africa to lead the charge in sustainable industrialization? Join us on this enlightening conversation with Dorcas Jelagat Tuitoek , a PhD student at the University of Oxford, whose research on industrial decarbonization in the steel industry is setting a new standard for green technology. Discover how Dorcas transitioned from a promising career at Deloitte to becoming a key player in the global effort to combat climate change.
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In this episode we discuss the potential of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in healthcare with Sabine Mensah, the Deputy CEO of the AfricaNenda Foundation.
Sabine shares her expert views on how DPI, with its vital components like digital identity and payment systems, is reshaping access to health services for governments, businesses, and individuals.
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This is a thought-provoking conversation with Tabita Ntuli, a global health advocate with over a decade of experience in public health and community development. Tabita serves as an Equality and Rights for All Adviser for the UN Joint Program on AIDS (UNAIDS).
In this episode, we dive into the sociocultural dynamics that influence sexual health practices and policies, the latest sexual health interventions for young women, and strategies for scaling these initiatives to reach more women across Africa and beyond.
Tune in as we explore the innovations and challenges in sexual health and hear Tabita's insights on creating inclusive, equitable spaces for young women throughout Africa.
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Earlier this year, The Dream Women In STEM Technovation Summit (June 26-28) brought together young women, leaders, and innovators from Dream Big Stay Humble and the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) to tackle global challenges.
Through the Technovation Challenge, high school learners were challenged to develop solutions addressing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), showcasing creativity, collaboration, and real-world problem-solving skills.
In this episode, we feature the winning team as they tell us more about their project and how it alighns with the SDGs.
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In this episode, we are honored to have Neil Watkins, Deputy Director of Global Policy & Advocacy at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Neil discusses the recently released 2024 Goalkeepers Report on Tackling Global Malnutrition.
Under this, he explores the malnutrition crisis affecting 400 million children, the role of climate change in worsening food systems, innovative solutions such as fortified foods, the economic toll of malnutrition and calls for global cooperation to combat the crisis effectively.
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In this episode, we dive into a critical conversation with Tamuda Chimhanda, a Software Engineer at Dell Technologies and founder.
Not only does he explore emerging technologies in Africa, but as a member of the Microsoft Council for Digital Civility, Tamuda fights online scams and educates the public on digital safety.
Tune in and learn more about the rising threat of online scams targeting young people, especially young men. Don’t miss this one!
Resources below to help with online safety:
Meta - Online Harassment Resources
https://about.meta.com/actions/safety/topics/bullying-harassment/
Meta provides various resources on how to prevent online-harassment, what do to when harassed, and other educational content for teens, parents and educators.
Google - Safety Center
https://safety.google/
Google Safety Center offers tips and tools for safeguarding your information and managing who and how your Google account is being used.
Microsoft - Online Safety Tips
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/safety/online-privacy/
Advice on how to identify the most common types of scam.
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Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable forms of cancer, as long as it is detected early and managed effectively .
Our conversation with Dr. Cornelia Ndifon, a Physician, Reproductive/Maternal & Child Health from Namibia is all about cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine.
Dr. Cornelia explains the burden of cervical cancer in Africa and the critical roles of the HPV vaccine and screening in preventing this disease.
She also addresses common myths and misconceptions surrounding the HPV vaccine.
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**Solving our region’s biggest health challenges can only be achieved by innovative African-led solutions. And our guest today is Asante Chisa, a young health innovator and a BSc student in Biomedical Engineering from Malawi.
Asante will talk about her passion for medical innovation, her love for interior design and her current project on the design and fabrication of an IoT drip monitoring system, which is set to revolutionise patient care in Malawi. Let's take a listen!**
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In this episode, we listen to the story of Dr. Nihinlola Mabogunje from Nigeria. She talks about her involvement in polio eradication in Nigeria, her role in increasing polio vaccine access, building trust in the vaccine, and ultimately contributing to Nigeria's success in eradicating wild polio.
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In the second part of our conversation with Dr. Samuel Usman, explores the crucial engagement strategies employed by the CORE Group Polio Project (CGPP) in Nigeria to eradicate polio, the role of traditional and religious leaders in vaccination campaigns and the essential involvement of women in the vaccination process.
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This is the first episode in the polio eradication in Nigeria story series. Our guest, Dr. Samuel Usman will talk about the spread of polio, how it affects the body and how the polio vaccine works. He will also explain the challenges in Polio eradicaton in Nigeria and his personal experience in this field.
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Science communication, especially in health, is crucial for fostering informed and resilient communities in Africa, where public health challenges are prevalent.
In our upcoming episode, Treezer Michelle Atieno, a health and science journalist from Kenya will be joining us. Treezer is also our show producer and will talk about her experience in science communication and the launch of her reporting project on polio eradication in Nigeria.
LinkedIn : Treezer Michelle Atieno
X : @MichelleTreezer
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Can forests be the salvation for our planet's future? Join us as we explore the dynamic intersection of genetics and sustainable forestry with our guest today, Nthabiseng Dhlamini, a Tree Breeder from South Africa.
In our first ever video episode, we take a deep dive into the vital role forests play in our ecological balance and the pressing need for sustainable solutions to combat the threats of deforestation and unsustainable logging.
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The Root of the Science Media is here! Yes! We have officially transitioned to multimedia science content production and dissemination.
This episode is a celebration of our achievements and call to fellow African science communicators seeking a stage to showcase their passion. With a suite of new content formats — from newsletters to visual storytelling — we're set to quench your thirst for credible, engaging science communication.
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In today's episode, our guest Jenalea Rajab from Lelapa AI talks about her work in reshaping the landscape of natural language processing but and championing the cause of underrepresented languages. Jenalea's transition from the field of electrical engineering to AI innovation is as intriguing as it is inspiring, offering invaluable lessons in how diverse experiences can culminate in a career that's both dynamic and impactful.
LinkedIn: Jenalea Rajab
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Listen to the first episode of #AfricanWomenInAI Series with Aulan Lucrece Zahoundo, the Quantum AI expert from Benin. She gives us an exclusive look into her groundbreaking PhD work with the AIMS Institute at the University of Ghana
Within the dynamic field where quantum computing meets machine learning, Aulan's story is one that breaks barriers and challenges the norm.
LinkedIn: Aulan Lucrece Zahoundo
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In this episode, we are happy to have Tabitha Wangechi, a Digital Security Advocate from Kenya.
She sheds light on the dark side of the internet where women are often targets to doxing, revenge pornography, and the barrage of digital harassment women face.
Listen to this and more on the solutions available for digital harassment.
LinkedIn: Tabitha Wangechi.
Twitter: @T_Wangechi
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Prepare to be moved by Asonele Kotu' s work is rewriting the narrative for young girls in Africa.
Asonele Kotu from South Africa is the founder of Femconnect and a Social Impact Entrepreneur.
She talks about period poverty, the transformative education Femconnect provides on menstruation and family planning and tackling the deep-rooted stigmas surrounding sex education in Africa.
LinkedIn: Asonele Kotu
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Our guest today is Johnmark Ochieng, a journalist and science communicator from Kenya. As a corporate communications officer at the Kenya Space Agency, he channels storytelling into his work, creating bridges between complex space science and the enchanting stories of the night sky.
Join us on this intriguing conversation on how he made his way here.
LinkedIn: Johnmark Ochieng
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As we officially launch season 5 of the Root of the Science Podcast, we engage in a very interesting conversation with Olaitan Owoyemi from Nigeria. Oloitan is an expert in medical diagnostics and science communication.
In this episode, he talks about some cutting-edge medical technologies and his transformative projects that are redefining the health industry across Africa.
LinkedIn: Olaitan Owoyemi
Twitter: @OlaitanLiiLii
Instagram: olaoluwaotan_olaitan
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What is the potential of microbial fertilizers in enhancing food security and mitigating climate change effects in sub-Saharan Africa? Prof. Tavneet Suri, a Kenyan professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, brings to discussed the concept of microbial fertilizers from production, application and potential challenges. Could they potentially revolutionise traditional agricultural practices?
The conversation revolves around the recent COP28 summit, the announcement of the AIM for Scale program and its impact on food systems innovation, resilience, reduction of emissions and potential solutions for farmers in Africa. You won't want to miss it!
LinkedIn: Tavneet Suri
Twitter: @SuriTavneet
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Imagine a future where global agricultural challenges are successfully conquered, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Enoch Chikava, Interim Director of Agriculture Development at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, joins us on this episode to share the foundation's strategies and partnerships designed to accelerate agricultural development and climate resilience.
Enock is an expert in agricultural development from Zimbabwe. He explains the advancements being made, including the cultivation of adaptable crops such as millet and cassava, scaling up these innovations to benefit smallholder farmers and more.
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What if you had to live with a rare, life-altering medical condition? Ruth Makena Mugaa, an advocate of the High Court of Kenya and founder of the Gigantomastia Foundation, faced gigantomastia and founded an organization to connect people to treatment of the rare condition. Join us as Ruth shares her personal journey and more about gigantomastia.
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Ever wondered about the transformative role women and youth can play in combating climate change? Listen to this compelling conversation with Innocent Deckocks from Kenya, founder of Eco-Sanctify Consultants Limited and research associate at ECAS Institute. We delve deep into climate governance and justice, youth and women participation in climate change and their essential part in shaping important decisions.
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Hold your breath as we bring down the curtain on our monumental #STEMSolutionsAfrica series, a part of the Africa No Filter Gates Foundation Storify Cohort 2023. We have had the privilege to amplify the voices of African STEM experts laboring tirelessly to drive transformative change.
Prepare yourself to revisit our past episodes with Professor Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, who shared with us innovative strategies on sustainable agriculture amid climate change, Zameer Brey on how AI is advancing equality in Africa, Dr. Maurine Musie on the intersection of traditional knowledge and modern maternal healthcare and finally Enya Seguin, the expert behind the portable AI ultrasound that is reshaping the landscape of maternal health.
This is not just a recap, it's a tribute to the relentless efforts of these innovators and a nod to the future of STEM in Africa. Listen for more!
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This is the fourth and final episode in the #STEMSolutionsAfrica series. We're thrilled to have Enya Seguin, the unit manager of the Baby Checker, a portable AI ultrasound technology that is already changing lives.
Find out more about how this technology is being utilized in underserved communities in Africa, how it detects pregnancy risks, the future of Baby Checker and Enya as a speaker in the upcoming Global Grand Challenge Awards in Senegal.
LinkedIn: Enya Seguin
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The guest today is Stephanie Okeyo, a microbiologist turned science communicator. Stephanie is originally from Kenya and currently living in Austria. Get ready to listen to the compelling journey of Stephanie in science communication, establishing Under the Microscope organization and her current quest of raising funds for her masters degree.
LinkedIn: Stephanie Okeyo
Twitter: @ajwangokeyo
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Wondering how STEM solutions can make a difference in Africa? Tune into STEM Solutions Stories as we have discussions with African innovators who are shaping their world. Let's embark on an inspiring journey with STEM Solutions Stories, where impactful tales of change await.
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Today, we're privileged to engage in a riveting discourse with Dr. Maurine Musie, the youngest PHD holder at the University of Pretoria Nursing Department, South Africa. Her groundbreaking work as an advanced midwife specialist and lecturer at the University of Pretoria, opens up a fresh dialogue on the confluence of traditional medical wisdom and modern healthcare practices.
Twitter: @MaurineMusie
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The guest today is Marlene Ato from Kenya. A beacon in the field of medical psychology, Marlene takes us through the fascinating world of tele-counselling ,her passion for reproductive health advocacy and more.
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This is the second episode produced under the Gates Stories Project. The guest today is Zameer Brey, the Interim Deputy Director for Technology Diffusion at the Gates Foundation. He gives us a rare glimpse into the backstage of technological revolutions and how AI is breaking barriers to access vital resources in developing nations and marginalized communities.
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My guest today is Nobukhosi Ndlovu originally from Zimbabwe and currently based in South Africa. She is a Pharmacist Intern and the founder of Legitmental Blog. She talks about her work, her experience during her unemployment period, the birth of Legitmental blog and more.
Twitter: @nobue_khosi
Instagram: @snapyescapes
LinkedIn: nobhukhosi-ndlovu
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This is the first episode produced under the Gates Stories Project. The guest today is Prof. Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, an Associate Professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Director for the Centre for Transformative Agriculture and Food Systems. He explains the work he does in various projects , the application of the Systems Thinking Model in agriculture and more.
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My guest today is Dr Brunette Katsandegwaza, originally from Zimbabwe and now based in Belgium. She’s an experimental infectious disease researcher at the University of Liege. in this episode, she shares about her research on helminth infections and respiratory viruses, the root of her science, the perks of being in academia, and more!
Twitter: Paida@brunettekay,
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LinkenIn: Brunette Katsandegwaza
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My guest is Amukelani Maluleke from South Africa. He is a PhD student in Botany and Zoology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. In this episode, we chat about his love for photography and how it marries into his beautifully with his research work. He tells us about this work which is done on ecosystem-scale carbon dioxide, water and energy exchange. Listen to hear about this work, his ROOT of his science and more!
@AmuCaptured (Twitter)
@amukelani_maluleke (Instagram)
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My guest today is Dr Alice Mbewe from Malawi. Dr Alice is a translational science champion from Malawi, who's bridging the gap between discovery science and impactful healthcare. Tune in as she shares her science roots, academic journey & her faith-based side project called 'Fill my Cup' on Instagram.
Alice T Mbewe: Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin
Fillmycup_official: instagram
Fill My Cup: LinkedIn
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Hello everyone!
I'm excited to announce that this episode is proudly brought to you by Resound Desire and APVA.
Today, I'm thrilled to introduce my guest, Gwana Juslin Akah from Cameroon. Gwana is a third-year computer engineering student, and we'll be chatting about her passions and side hustles. We'll also discuss the roots of her interest in science, her future aspirations, and a project she developed called a Smart Security Lighting System. It helps to raise an alarm when there's an intruder at night in people's homes. So tune in!
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My guest today is Dr Justina Onumah from Ghana. She is a Senior research scientist with expertise in the field of economics of innovation and development. Currently working at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ghana. Justina is passionate about the science-policy interface. She is a former Next Einstein Forum ambassador, mother, wife & mentor. In this episode, she talks about the root of her science, her passion for #STEM advocacy, and her current research interests. Tune in!
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My guest today is Talita Turvey born and bred in South Africa. Talita describes herself as a scientist/musician/and full-time worker. In this episode, she talks about all these facets of her life such as her music career, the root of her science story and the research she is currently working on for her plant science MSc degree that focuses on melanoma (a type of skin cancer) and whether two isolated compounds from a plant could be a potential drug candidate for this melanoma. She tells us more about this work, juggling life, work and school tune in for this and more!
Listen to Talita's song here
Instagram: talita_turvey
LinkedIn: Talita Turvey
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My guest is Nkosi Sithole born and bred in South Africa in KwaZulu-Natal. As the first recording of the year we chatted about new year's resolutions, the importance of education as a key to many doors and her parents being prime examples. Due to her passion for education, Nkosi started an NPO called ReEnvisage. Currently, she’s You are an MSc student in environment and sustainable education. The research focuses on upscaling Community-Based Water Quality Management (CBWQM) in South Africa through social learning. She tells us more about this research and its importance. Tune in to hear about this and more!
Instagram:nkosingithandile_sithole;
LinkedIn: Nkosingithandile Sithole
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Moloko Moshokoa an MSc Student in Chemical Technology from South Africa is my guest today. She shares about her current research that aims to improve the bioproduction of a platform chemical called succinic acid touching on the importance. She also talks about the ROOT of her science, her role as a mom and wife and the highs including the lows in her academic journey. Tune in for this and MORE
Moloko Mosh (Facebook),
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This week, as the third season comes to a close, I will be conducting interviews with four undergraduate students from the Science for All Program of the Malawi Liverpool Welcome Program. They will discuss their paths into their respective stem fields, the courses they are currently enrolled in, and their aspirations for the future.
The program's co-lead, Dr. Marah Grace Chibwana, will give us an introduction on science for all and go over the program's aims, objectives, and it’s importance as well as discussing her role of project coordinator.
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Puseletso Manyaka-Lesofe, a medical biological scientist from South Africa, is my guest today. She discusses how her mother and her teachers had a significant influence on her decision to pursue a career in science. We learn more about her subsequent academic career. Puseletso discusses the difficulties of juggling a family, a job, and education as well as how she overcame them. She discusses the clinical research projects she is working on currently as a medical biologist, emphasizing the significance of the daily clinical research she conducts. Find out more by tuning in.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/puseletso-manyaka-lesofe-bsc-bsc-hons-up-26b152106/
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My guest today is Thando Mazomba, an MSc Graduate of physical Oceanography, All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassadors, Marine Manager and co-founder and Co-director of The Beach Co-op.
In this episode we hear about her academic journey in the marine and environmental space. She then discusses the importance of transformation and representation in the marine space which influenced her involvement in the All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassador for South Africa. Thando also chats about the work she does as the co-founder and Co-director of the The Beach Co-op and she discuss the "human centered" work and the importance to the community.
Listen as we hear about this and more.
Twitter & Instagram: @thandomazomba
Facebook and LinkedIn: Thando Mazomba
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Today's episode is a collaboration with British Ecological Society . Listen as Anne Chisa hosts : Daniel Pauley, Mthokozisi Moyo and Nasiphi Bitani. They spoke of their journeys as black #ecologists & importance of action to impact real change + MORE.
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Qhelile Bhebhe from Zimbabwe currently in South Africa is my guest today. She's a PhD student in Food security at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. In this episode, we learn her influences that made her get into science. She takes us on a journey about the process of her applying for her PhD program and the tribulations and how she overcame it. She then discusses her PhD study that is an analysis of the role of trees in green spaces on ecosystems, livelihoods and food security. Qhelile aspires to be an academic alongside her other interests. Do tune in to hear about this and more.
Twitter: @BhebheQhelile
LinkedIn & Facebook: Qhelile Ntombikayise Bhebhe
Instagram: @qnbhebhe
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My guest today is senior software engineer Ngoni Mujuru a Zimbabwean currently based in South Africa. In this episode we learn his journey into the science field, talking about how his time in university helped birth his tech startup he co-founded called EaziCode a code tutoring company passionate about software development especially for children. Ngoni touches on the vision of the startup and the lessons learned from success and failure of his journey so far. Tune in to hear about this and more.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ng0nidzashe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ngonidzashe-mujuru/
EaziCode Website: https://eazicode.com/
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Takalani Netshipale, a South African, is my guest today. She is a civil engineer who is currently employed by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health in South Africa. In this episode, we talk about how she got into engineering and what it was like for her as a female engineer both in academic and in the professional setting. As a project manager overseeing multimillion-rand projects, she also discusses her responsibilities and her importance of her role.
Tune in for all of this and MORE!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tk_the_blondie/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/takalani-netshipale-graduate/
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My guest today is Tebogo Maleka aka the "Green Goddess." She's born and raised in South Africa. Tebogo is an environmental professional and PhD candidate in environmental management. In this episode Tebogo shares many interesting stories about how she came about do her exciting research focused on quantifying & examining the removal efficiency of micro-plastics in municipal wastewater treatment plants, her life journey, the ROOT of her science and MORE.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TebogoMaleka_
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Dr. Khumbuzile Bophela from South Africa is my guest today. At present she is a lecturer in plant pathology at the Pretoria University in South Africa. We learn about the current study she is conducting for her post-doc fellowship in this episode, and she is honest about the ups and downs of her academic track and how they have impacted the kind of academic she wants to be. Tune in for all of this and MORE.
Twitter: @DrBophela
Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn: @khumbuzilebophela
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This episode we have Sarah Nyakeri from Kenya. She is a MSc student in Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics at The International Livestock Research Institute , Kenya. Also Sarah is the founder and the host of The Vulnerable Scientist Podcast. Tune in as we hear
about her podcast, her research on improving CBPP vaccines for cows & MORE!
Twitter: @thesarahnyakeri
Podcast ( Instagram & Twitter) : @tvscientistpod
Podcast Website: https://thevulnerablescientist.com/
.
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Kim Ndlovu is from Zimbabwe and currently based in United States. She a PhD student in microbiology at Ohio State University. In this episode she shares her journey to science that includes living in 4 countries. She discusses her current research projects the main one involving phage therapy. Kim shares in detail the importance of this work. Tune in as we hear about this and more.
Twitter: @Kimstry8
LinkedIn: Kimberly Ndlovu
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Tsembedzo is a PhD student in plant functional ecology he tells us about this research and its importance. He shares about his academic journey and the ROOT of his science. Further, he shares about the importance of taking care of his mental health and MORE.
Twitter: matari_tsumbe
LinkedIn & Facebook: Tsumbedzo L. Ramalevha
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My guest today is Tasvi Daya from South Africa. She's a PhD student in cancer science at University of Witwatesrand and her research is focus on understanding pancreatic cancer. Apart from this exciting research we chat about The ROOT of her science, her academic journey and we learn more about the "human side" of Tasvi who shares some of her passions.
Tune in as we hear about this and more!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TasviD
Instagram: @TazzyD
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tasvi.daya/
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Hello everyone!
Welcome to Episode 97.
This week's episode is a very special one as it is a dedication to honor the memory of a dear friend and mentor Ndoni Mcunu who sadly passed away on 16 April 2022. Ndoni played a significant role in helping me start this podcast and supported me and the vision of amplifying Africans in STEM globally. It was only fitting that I honor her in the best manner that I know.
The episode was released originally exactly 2years ago this month on 1 April 2020. Ndoni Mcunu was a PhD Candidate at Witwatersrand University, at the Global Change Institute in South Africa. Also, she is the Founder & CEO of Black Women in Science (BWIS). A registered non-profit organization that aimed to deliver capacity development interventions that target young black women scientists and researchers. Apart from my own dedication to her in this episode, we chatted about some of her passions: women's development, education, and the importance of science communication. It was a great honor to have her on the show plus to have her in my life as someone I looked up to and loved.
You lit life in many people's lives and your legacy WILL live on forever.
We will continue what you started.
RIP Ndoni.
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Hello everyone!
Welcome to episode 96.
Lubabalo Tybosch from South Africa is my guest today. He tells us how he got into the world of information technology (IT) in this episode. This was the first step toward him founding Uniqova, a software development company. Lubabalo discusses the company's vision as well as the ups and downs of building something from the ground up. Finally, we discuss his accomplishments as a multi-award-winning Toastmasters International speaker and leader, as well as his role as a 2030 Youth Ambassador for the National Development Plan. Stay tuned as we hear more about this and other topics.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TyboschLubabalo/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lubabalo.tybosch/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lubabalotybosch/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lubabalo-tybosch/
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Hello everyone!
Welcome to episode 95.
Remous Ocloo, originally from Ghana but now located in South Africa, is my guest today.
His father and sibling encouraged him to pursue a career in science. He actually wanted to be a doctor, but it didn't work out. He takes us on a journey through his academic career, describing some of the highs and lows along the way. He talks about how a setback helped him qualify for a prestigious scholarship that allowed him to study for his master's degree and now his PhD in South Africa. Remous is currently a PhD student in medical microbiology, and his research focuses on understanding how antimicrobial resistance develops and disseminates within and between humans and animals through the food chain, as well as how this can lead to new antimicrobial resistance policies. He explains the significance of this research in great detail. Finally, we talked about how he manages his work-life balance so that he may perform at his best as a scientist. Tune in for this and more!
LinkedIn: Remous Ocloo
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Hello everyone!
Welcome to episode 94.
Letta Ntuli is my guest today; she is a PhD student in chemical engineering and a laboratory technician. Letta had a flair for Maths and Science from a young age, we learn in this episode. She was introduced to engineering professions as a result of growing up near a mining town. She picked chemical engineering as her major and takes us through her academic journey. She obtained her MSc last year, and we talk about how she managed to start and finish her degree while working throughout the pandemic. Letta will begin her Ph.D. program this year, where she will work on developing a non-invasive glucose tester machine using biological biomarkers. She goes into great detail about this fascinating study and its significance. Lastly, we chat about the challenges of being a woman in the engineering field and the issue of women engineers who are qualified are not staying due to several reasons. Listen as we chat about all this and more!
Twitter and Instagram: @hlogi_LM
Facebook: Mahlogonolo Ntuli
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Hello everyone!
Welcome to episode 93.
Kaylan Reddy, a PhD candidate in botany from South Africa, is my guest today. In this episode, we find that he is the family's first scientist and that his love for science stems from his family's early acceptance of his "weird and wonderful" science facts. Kaylan recalls that his undergraduate studies began with a double major in biochemistry and chemistry. He subsequently applied his chemistry knowledge to plants in order to pursue a degree in medical plant sciences. Kaylan then went on to earn a master's degree, which was then upgraded to a PhD program, which he is currently pursuing. He is researching a traditional medicinal plant known as Kougoed, Kanna or Sceletium. This is used by the Khoí and Sān people in South Africa that could help with anxiety and depression. Kaylan tells us more about the research and its importance. As wonderful as Kaylan's academic journey has been we also discuss some of the challenges that he's experienced and how he overcome them.
Tune in as we hear about this and so much more
Insta: @sceletium.sci.guy
Twitter: @Plant_Detective
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Linkedin: Kaylan Reddy
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Hello everyone!
Welcome to episode 92.
Oageng Modise from South Africa is my guest today. He is a PhD student in entomology, which is the study of insects. In this episode, we learn about his scientific journey, which began at undergraduate level with Zoology and Biology. We learn about his current PhD research project, which focuses on fly pollination. Oageng tells us about this project and its significance. We then discuss the lack of representation of people of color in the field of entomology, as well as his suggestions for how we can get more people involved.
Stay tuned as we hear about this and more.
Twitter: @ModiseOageng
LinkedIn: Nkitseng Oageng Modise
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Hello everyone, it's 2022 and a new season of the show!
Welcome to season 3, episode 91.
Today's guest is Rufaro Samanga from South Africa. She is an Epidemiologist, a cultural writer, a public health writer and a speaker who is passionate about addressing misinformation about covid 19 vaccine hesitancy. In this episode, she discusses her academic journey, specifically how she discovered that a career in Epidemiology exists. Rufaro opens up about her academic challenges and the mental health issues she had to overcome. She then explains how the lessons she has learned thus far in her academic journey will positively shape the type of academic she aspires to be, particularly for black students. Rufaro explains her current job as a digital epidemiologist. Finally, we talk about her plans to pursue a PhD in public health with a focus on epidemiology and biostatistics. Her research will focus on covid 19 vaccine hesitancy in South Africa. Tune in to hear about all this and more!
Twitter: @rufaro_samanga
Instagram: rufaro_samanga
Linked In: Rufaro Samanga
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Hello everyone!
Welcome to episode 90.
My guest today is Lindelwa Msweli. She is a PhD student in Ecological Science, and she was born and raised in South Africa. In this episode, we learn that she has always had a passion for the environment and the great outdoors since she was a child. So it was only natural for her to pursue a science career that combined her two interests. She takes us on a journey through her academic career, which began with biological and environmental science. She is currently a PhD student in Ecological Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Her current research focuses on the urban ecology of Rock Hyrax in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. She emphasizes the significance of this study. We also talk about the challenges and lessons she's learned as a black woman in ecology, and how she hopes to get more black people into this career. Lastly, we discuss her other passions the first being her YouTube Channel: The Black Intel. Second: Imfundo Emhle. She tells us more about these two side projects. Tune in as we hear about all this and more!
Twitter (@LindelwaMsweli)
Facebook (Lindelwa Sibongakonke)
Instagram (@the_blackintel),
LinkedIn (Lindelwa Msweli)
More on Imfundo Emhle
www.imfundoemhle.co.za
Email: lindelwa.msweli@imfundoenhle.co.za
Info@imfundoenhle.co.za
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Hello everyone!
Welcome to episode 89.
Yannick Agbana, originally from Togo but now based in Nigeria, is my guest today. In this episode, we learn that he did not always know that science was the path he would take; he wanted to be a medical doctor. However that career choice did not work out. He did infact stay in the medical field by pursuing his undergraduate degree in biomedical science in Togo. Yannick discusses his academic journey, which includes pursuing his first Masters degree in China. Currently pursuing his second master's degree in medicinal plant research and drug development in Nigeria. He tells us briefly about the research he plans to conduct. Finally, we discuss the importance of researchers upskilling themselves by attending conferences and workshops, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of the virtual world.Tune in as we hear about this and so much more.
Twitter: @YAgbana
LinkedIn: Yannick Luther Agbana
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Hello everyone!
Welcome to episode 88.
Nyasha Manyika is from Zimbabwe and is currently based in South Africa. Nyasha is a qualified Commercial Pilot and who also serves as registrar at 43 Air School, a leading Aviation College in Port Alfred, South Africa. Her passion for sustainable development within the Aviation Industry saw her becoming a Co-Founder of African Leaders in Aviation (ALA), a registered NPO which serves and supports the African Aviation Industry and Careers in STEM by empowering women and raising honorable leaders. Nyasha is also a member of Women in Aviation International and of the Keep Flying International Scholarship. As Registrar, Nyasha’s role involves working with 250 to 300 student pilots at a time from over 40 different countries globally. This has exposed her to a diverse range of cultures which she appreciates as an opportunity to learn and grow. Her commitment and contribution to the Aviation Industry in Africa has been widely recognised and in 2021 she was selected as 1 of Africa’s 100 Brightest Young Mind (BYM) - BYM identifies, connects and mobilizes Africa’s most innovative and responsible young people.
Tune in as we hear all of this, the ROOT of her science and much more!
Twitter: @girlfly2
Instagram: fly_nyash
Facebook and Linkedin: Nyasha Manyika
Email: hello@africanleadersinaviation.org
Visit: https://linktr.ee/africanleadersinaviation
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Hello everyone!
Welcome to episode 87.
Today's guest is Kalonde Chanda, who is originally from Zambia but now lives in Turkey. In this episode, we learn that Kalonde had a variety of career interests as a child, which changed at different stages of his life. Science piqued his interest in his senior year of high school, and his dream of becoming an engineer was born. He goes on to describe his academic journey, including how he was awarded a full scholarship to attend university in Turkey to study process and chemical engineering, where he graduated with honors. We talk about the difficulties of being an international student abroad, as well as some of the lessons he's learned from his experiences. Furthermore, we talk about Kalonde's other projects and passions, all of which center on his desire to make Africa a better place. Stay tuned for all of this and more.
Facebook and LinkedIn: Kalonde Chanda
Twitter: Kchanda77
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Hello everyone!
Welcome back to episode 86.
Khuthadzo Muvhano from South Africa is my guest today. In this episode, we learn that she originally wanted to be a model, but because she attended a science-focused high school, it was only natural for her to continue her education in science. Khuthadzo also discusses what it's like to be the first person in her family to attend university, as well as the challenges and lessons she's learned along the way. Despite this, she persevered and is now a final-year student majoring in biochemistry and botany at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. She discusses her academic journey, her future aspirations and of course so much more!
Twitter :@mavhonaKay_Pee
Instagram: @_pruu.dee
LinkedIn : prudence mavhona
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Hello everyone!
Welcome back to episode 85.
My guest today is Nolwandle Khumalo from South Africa. In this episode, we talk about her interests outside of science and how they play a role in her research journey. We talk about the ROOT of her science, and she explains why she initially wanted to be a doctor and shares the influences that later led her to change her mind during her academic journey. Currently, Nolwandle is a PhD student in environmental science at North West University in South Africa. Her current research focuses on the microbial exchange that occurs during pollination between honey bees and flowering plants such as sunflowers. Listen in as we learn about the significance of this research, the ROOT of her science, and MUCH MORE.
Twitter: @Lwandle_Khumalo
Instgram: @nolen_ocean
Facebook: Nolwandle Nolen Khumalo
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Hello everyone!
Welcome back to Ep 84.
My guest today is Caleb Munemo from Zambia. He's a 2nd-year computer science student in Zambia. In this episode, he explains that he developed his passion for science in secondary school
He admits that he was not sure that he wanted to get into the computer science field as it was not a well-known field of study in Zambia until recently. After following successful people who are in the technology industry and reading his interest grew. He then went on to apply for a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science. At the same, he started advocating for STEM by mentoring and training young people at his former school. Caleb is a co-founder & president of science Exploration Zambia. A STEM-based NGO that established an E-learning platform for learners in their country. Further, Caleb is also a host of a podcast called “ A Zambia of the Creatives” the podcast talks about STEM and how creatives can be raised through implementing STEM concepts in schools. Tune in as we hear about this work, the ROOT of his science, and MORE!
ScienceExplorationZambia
Facebook: Caleb Munemo
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Hello everyone!
Welcome back to episode 83.
Sandiso Ngwenya is my guest today; she was born and raised in Zimbabwe and now resides in South Africa. In this episode, we discuss how her other interests contribute to her being more than just a scientist. Sandiso describes her love of beauty, particularly makeup, and we talk about the stereotypes of what female scientists are supposed to look like and how new age female scientists, such as herself, are changing that. We then talk about how she ended up in the field of chemistry by chance. . Sandiso is a PhD student in chemistry at Nelson Mandela University in South Africa, and she has excelled in this field since then. Currently, her research is focused on the synthesis of important antioxidants that provide new possibilities for the treatment and prevention of UV-mediated diseases. Join in as we hear about this research, the Root of her science + MORE!
AfricansInSTEM #womeninSTEM
Twitter & Instagram: @Sandiso_n
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1BL3uayeJDcpLCjHNnQSDA.
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Hello everyone!
Welcome to episode 82!
Today's guest is Jethro Dlamini, who was born and raised in South Africa. In this episode, we learn that his decision to study science was not a fluke; he is exactly where he wanted to be. We talk about how he got into science, specifically the agricultural side of things. Jethro talks us through his academic journey, explaining how he became interested in soil science after high school. Jethro admits that the path to NQF level 8 ( an honours degree equivalent) was not easy, but he has persevered to his current position as an agricultural advisor intern. Jethro's job entails organizing and delivering agricultural training to underserved communities. We discuss the significance of his job and also speak openly about entering into the agricultural field.
Tune in for all of this and MORE!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sibongiseni-jethro-dlamini-50241b204/
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Hello everyone!
Welcome to EP 81.
Today my guest is Tracy Vongai Mapfumo, a passion-driven entrepreneur, food innovator, crop scientist
and the founder of Eny’s Treats Pvt Ltd. She graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Agriculture-
Plant Science at the University of KwaZulu Natal in 2015. She has 5 years of work
experience in indigenous plants that have commercial value. She has always had an
aspiration to see Zimbabwean food be transformed into competitive products on the market.
Eny’s Treats, named after Tracy’s late mother, who nurtured her entrepreneurial
skills, was founded in October 2018. It specializes in healthy snacks targeting upmarket
health-conscious consumers. The snacks are a variety of seed bars, balls and seed butter.
Key ingredients are sourced from local, rural small-scale farmers/producers. Eny’s Treats
partnered with the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund in training rural women and youths
on the value addition of natural food resources. Tracy participated in the FemBioBiz Accelerator
program as well as the Youth Connekt program, where she was awarded the First Runner Up Prize
for Mashonaland Central. She was also the Start-Up Business Winner for CBZ Youth
Entrepreneurs Program 2019. In 2021 she was the winner of a national TV program, Ndine
Thaza Season 6. Tracy also participated in the EaglesNest Program led by ZimTrade.
We chat about all of this and so much more!
Twitter: @tracy_mapfumo & @enystreatszw
Instagram: @tracyvongaimapfumo & @enystreatszw
Facebook: Eny's Treats
LinkedIn: Tracy Vongai Mapfumo
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Hello everyone!
Welcome to episode 80.
Dr. Joseph Malinzi, originally from Uganda but now based in Eswatini, is my guest today. In this episode, he takes us on a journey through his academic career, which began in a Ugandan school. He excelled in high school and was given the opportunity to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Education at Makerere University. Joseph admits that there was a time in his life when he had no clear career plan. He applied for a postgraduate diploma at The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Cape Town, South Africa. This was a 10-month accelerated postgraduate program. He then went on to do a master's degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, followed by a PhD at the same institution. He is currently a lecturer in the mathematics department at the University of Eswatini and a honorary research fellow at Durban University of Technology. Dr. Joseph Malinzi's research is focused on mathematical disease modeling. He constructs and analyzes mathematical models to describe and solve problems that arise in nature. His research interests span dynamical systems, biomathematics, computational mathematics, and big data. Stay tuned as we learn more about this and much more!
Facebook & LinkedIn: Joseph Malinzi
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Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 79
My guest today is Dr. Cosnet Lerato Rametse. Born and raised in South Africa. In this episode, we learn that she has always wanted to work in science, and more specifically, she has always been curious about how the body worked, pathology, and also wanting to learn and gain skills to contribute to the understanding of pathologies. This curiosity led her to study medicine. She also discusses why she chose to be a clinician-scientist. Currently, Lerato is a PhD candidate investigating the impact of asymptomatic sexually transmitted infections on HIV susceptibility in the penis through the division of Immunology UCT. She tells us about her fascinating research and why it is so vital. Lerato goes on to explain why she chose to specialize in Immunology and how she dealt with some social changes during her academic career.
Tune in as we hear about this and so much more
Twitter: @LCosnet
Instagram: @leratocosnet
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Hello everyone!
Welcome to episode 78!
My guest today is Lonwabo Manqana, born and bred in South Africa. In this episode, we learn that he always knew he wanted to be a scientist, but he wasn't sure what field he wanted to work in. His physics teacher and his mother, who did agriculture at home, were the two most influential people in his life. Due to this influence, he began a degree in applied chemistry at university but quickly realized that it was not for him. He later changed his major to soil science and hydrology. He chose to specialize in soil science as a postgraduate student. His MSc research is currently focused on developing farm typologies and assessing their fertility gradients and nutrient variation in smallholder farmers in KwaZulu-Natal Province. Lonwabo tells us more about the importance of this research. Further, Lonwabo gets candid and discusses how he failed a module during his undergraduate years and the important lessons he learned since then that have helped him get to where he is now in his academic journey.
Tune in as we hear about all this and so much more.
Facebook: Lonwabo Kok'rosh Manqana
Instagram: kokrosh_01
LinkedIn: Lonwabo Manqana
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Hello everyone, welcome to episode 77!
Faith February, a South African based in Capetown, South Africa, is my guest today. In this episode, we learn that her father helped her develop a passion and talent for mathematics at a young age. She went on to pursue a degree in mathematics and computer science as her majors at university. However, she realized that computer science was not what she wanted to study and changed her majors to mathematics and physics. Faith explains that while finishing her master's degree, she applied for a job at the Institute of Maritime Technology, which works with the South African Navy. She worked there for 16 years in various roles, including cadet, scientist, senior scientist, and chief scientist. Faith describes how working in a male-dominated industry presented unique challenges, particularly as the sole female employee, and how she stood up for herself and took charge of her career.
Her efforts were rewarded when she was chosen to participate in an international project collaboration. After working on the project for 10 months and collecting large amounts of data, she decided that more work was needed and, after 16 years, she decided to pursue her PhD. Currently, she is a Ph.D. student in Oceanography at the University of Cape Town. Her study looks into the effects of atmospheric aerosols on climate change. She describes the study and its significance. Finally, Faith discusses the changes that occurred when she transitioned from working to being a full-time student and her work-life balance as she holds multiple roles.
Tune in as we hear about this and so much more!
Twitter:@FebruaryFaith
Facebook: @fjfebruary
LinkedIn: Faith February
Instagram: @faithjfebs
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Hello everyone, welcome back to episode 76!
My guest today is Mishumo Nemathaga. She's a South African living in South Africa. In this episode, Mishumo tells us that she always knew that she wanted to do something related to biology from primary school. This love carried on all the way until her high school years where she was even awarded the best student in biology. However, after completing high school, she went to college and registered to be an electrical engineer. She explains the reasons behind this slight detour in her academic journey. After a gap year, Mishumo registered for a BSc degree in microbiology and zoology at the University of South Africa. Currently, she's an MSc student in agriculture focusing on animal science. Her research investigates Ascaridia galli, a parasitic roundworm that infects village chickens. Mishumo tells us about this research and its importance. Apart from her studies, Mishumo is very passionate about STEM; in general, she's a Black Woman In Science Fellow 2021 and started her own Facebook page called Free Science to curate educational resources for high school students. She explains the importance of being part of and creating such spaces that support STEM initiatives. Tune in as we hear about this and so much more.
Facebook & LinkedIn: Mishumo Nemathaga
Instagram: @n_mish22
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Hello everyone, welcome to episode 75!
Tosin Adewumi, originally from Nigeria and now based in Sweden, is my guest today. In this episode, we learn that his interest in Science was innate, as he had always had an interest in astronomy and learning about the nature of space during his primary and high school years. However, he chose to pursue a computer science degree and a postgraduate degree in Nigeria. Currently, He is pursuing a PhD in machine learning at Luleå University of Technology, Sweden. His research there focuses on natural language processing for low-resource African languages. He discusses how he became involved in this research and its significance. We then talk about the bias prevalent in machine learning and why it is a driving force behind the research he does. Tosin also tells us that he had a start-up business in Nigeria before his PhD studies, where he built websites and domains. Finally, we talk about the challenges he faced and the important lessons he learned along the way.
Tune in for this and more
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Hello everyone welcome to episode 74!
My guest today is Mongezi Majebe, from South Africa. In this episode, Mongezi describes his academic journey. He tells us that chemistry was his favorite subject in high school and inspired him to pursue a degree in it. Mongezi discusses his journey, which was not always smooth, with speed bumps along the way. He learned valuable life lessons in the process. He is a final-year student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal studying chemistry and chemical technology. He explains exactly what his degree entails as well as his future goals. Finally, we learn that Mongezi is a self-proclaimed men's activist, and he explains why supporting and motivating his fellow men is so important to him. Listen in as we learn about this and much more.
Twitter:@mointelligence
Instagram:mongezi_majola
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Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 73
My guest today is Tamuda Chimhanda from Zimbabwe but based in South Africa. He's passionate about robotics and artificial intelligence and the potential it has to transform Africa. In this episode, we learn that Robotics "picked him" he was always a curious child, and he wanted to understand how things work by breaking appliances in his home. He spent most of his life developing his innovative side by learning to make and build things. He also attributes his successes to his older brother, who has always been a positive influence. In primary school, Tamuda joined a robotics club and later in 2018 was accepted into the Zimbabwe national Robotics Team, where he was one of the youngest in the team. The team went on to represent the country at the Robotics Olympics in Mexico.
He went on to work for Microsoft as the Southern African Ambassador for Digital Civility, a council dedicated to making the internet a safe space for teens. He is currently enrolled at the African Leadership Academy, where he is studying entrepreneurial leadership, computer science, and physics. One of the innovations he co-founded is BOE- The Book of Everything, which aims to increase access to education for the 56 million African students who do not have access to the internet in their communities. He tells us more about his role in this project and its significance.
He tells us about Glimmer Virtual Reality, the second innovation he co-created. To address the issues raised by the pandemic's travel restrictions and provide Africans, particularly those in Zimbabwe, with the ability to travel their own country in a virtual setting. We learn about all of this and so much more.
LinkedIn- Tamuda Chimhanda
Facebook- Tamuda Chimhanda
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Hello everyone, and welcome to Episode 73!!
Chris Emezue from Nigeria is my guest today. He is an MSc student in Mathematics and Data Science at Technische Universität München (TUM) in Germany. In this episode, we learn that he wanted to be an inventor when he was younger. His parents, who instilled a reading culture in him, nurtured the dream. This enabled him to learn more about being an inventor and change the world by solving problems.
This went hand in hand with his interest in math and physics during his high school years. Chris values the fact that his parents let him choose his own path after high school. He decided on the route of Mathematics and then applied for a scholarship to study abroad. He received a scholarship to pursue a Math Bachelor's degree in Russia. We talk about his time in Russia and how he transitioned from Nigeria to a foreign country. He also discusses his relocation to Germany, where he is currently based.
Chris's childhood dream of being an inventor has come true. He is now the co-initiator of Ed AI, working on natural language processing for low-resource African languages. He explains how he became involved and the significance of this project. I discussed all of this, as well as many other topics. Take a listen.
Twitter: @ChrisEmezue
LinkedIn: Chris Emezue
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Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 72.
For the past few weeks, I have had the pleasure of chatting with young #AfricansInSTEM who have shared stories about their journey into science as part of #YouAreAScientist interviews. The purpose is to amplify the voices of young #AfricansInSTEM and remind them that they are an inspiration to many. This week we are wrapping up, and I will be joined by 3 young scientists who share their unique experiences today. You will hear from Tanatswa, Avela and Hlengiwe. Let's go.
(Look at chapter markers for each individual).
(1:23) Tanatswa Muchirahondo, a Zimbabwean aeronautical engineering student, is my first guest. In this episode, we learn that Tanatswa has always excelled in physics and mathematics. Because of his older brother, he has always known that he wanted to be an engineer, specifically in aviation. By passing his A-levels with flying colours, he pursued his dream and study at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Aerospace Engineering. He describes what aeronautical engineers do, and you will hear how impressive his future goals are. Let's take a listen.
(21:59) Avela Xulu from South Africa is up next. He is a third-year environmental science student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He tells us that he was initially interested in pursuing a health science degree, but that did not go as planned. Alternatively, he was offered and enrolled in a course in environmental science. Avela admits that the first year was difficult, but the second year was when the puzzle pieces fell into place, and he realized which path was best for him. He tells us about environmental science and his future plans, which include pursuing an honors degree. Plus, Avela gives a great shout-out at the end, so take a listen.
(35:30) Finally, I have Hlengiwe Myeni from South Africa. She is a third-year medical student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She says that since grade 10, she has known she wanted to pursue a career in science but has been unsure of which field to pursue. However, when her mother became ill, her desire to pursue a career in medicine was sparked. Hlengiwe discusses her difficulties adjusting to university life as well as her own mental health issues. We also talk about how the pandemic has affected her studies. Finally, we talk about her future plans in the medical field.
Listen to this and so much more.
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Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 71.
For the past few years, I have had the pleasure of being a teaching assistant for undergraduate modules in the agricultural science department at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. I thought it is only fitting to interview some of the past students for this month's #YouAreAScientist interviews. The purpose is to amplify the voices of young #AfricansInSTEM and remind them that they are an inspiration to many.
(Look at chapter markers for each individual).
(1:18) First is Thabile Nxumalo, a South African. She's a fourth-year plant pathology student. In this episode, we learn that in high school, she had no idea what "science" meant; she was simply encouraged by teachers to pursue it because she had good grades. It wasn't until her second year in university that she realized what she was doing. She explains to us the field of plant pathology and discusses her current honors project and her future aspirations. Let's take a listen.
(16:15) Sithembisiwe Dube, also known as Thembi, is my next guest. She is originally from Zimbabwe but currently resides and studies in South Africa. She is pursuing a bachelor's degree in animal science. We learn that she was inspired by her father's passion for livestock care. That piqued her interest in studying animals to assist him. Thembi discovered that animal science was the degree she needed to pursue after conducting a Google search. She explains what animal science is all about to all of us. We also talked about her future plans.
(16:15) Ntokozo Mkhabela from South Africa is my final guest. She is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in agricultural plant science with a major in crop science. In this episode, she admits that when she was younger, she was unsure about her future career. When she was 16, she started growing a vegetable garden, which sparked her interest in pursuing a degree in agriculture. She tells us about agricultural science and her honours research project for the year. Finally, we talked about her future goals and how she's been enjoying the online classes. Take a listen
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From mid-2020, I had the honor of mentoring four incredible young women from various STEM backgrounds and African countries. It's been a pleasure to learn from them and share my knowledge with them so that they can apply it uniquely in their lives—this a follow-up to this month's #YouAreAScientist interviews. I intend to amplify the voices of young #AfricansInSTEM and remind them that they are an inspiration to many.
(Look at chapter markers)
(00:01:40) Jane, a Nigerian medical student, is my first guest. She is in her fourth year, and we learn that she was inspired by a female family doctor before this. She is passionate about women's sexual health and aspires to be an obstetrician-gynecologist (ob-gyn). Jane describes herself as a jack of all trades because she is a businesswoman who dabbles in entrepreneurship, tech innovation and other things.
(00:15:52) Lidess is from Malawi and graduated this year with a bachelor's degree in land management with a physical planning specialization. In this episode, we learn that she wanted to be a nurse, but that didn't work out and that she is content with her current path. Aside from that, Lidess is an emerging entrepreneur who is a tailor. All of this and much more are covered in this episode.
(00:23:20) Next up is Ese, she's also a medical student in Nigeria. We learn that she actually wanted to be a journalist due to the instability of the industry in Nigeria. This did not come to pass. Due to her own lived experience, she inspired her to change her mind and pursue a medical degree instead. Ese does many other activities while pursuing her medical degrees, such as volunteering, fashion designing, and more.
(00:37:34) Lastly, Patricia is from Cameroon. Like many young Africans, she wanted to be a doctor but instead pursued a petroleum engineering career. She is now an MSc engineering student as well as a math and physics tutor. She is passionate about empowering the youth in her community. She discusses pursuing her dream and her future goals.
That concludes today's conversation. I hope you enjoyed this episode, in which you heard the stories of four future leaders from Africa in STEM. I'm so proud of them because their stories are unique to them, and I hope they inspired someone.
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Hello, and welcome to Episode 69!
As some of you might know, I've decided to expand the scope of the podcasts this month by interviewing some undergraduate students who are the future of science in their respective disciplines. The main reason for doing this was that I found that at the undergraduate level, science students mostly only go through the motions of a degree but do not consider themselves scientists. The title is usually reserved for postgraduate students, professors and lecturers, or people who are already well-established in the field of science. However, I believe that if you are involved in science at any level, you are a scientist. So that's why this month's #YouAreAScientist interviews are so critical. I intend to amplify the voices of young #AfricansInSTEM and remind them that they are an inspiration to many.
Edwin Simfukwe is today's guest. Without realizing it, Edwin was the motivating factor behind this whole concept, and he got me thinking about the value of amplifying young Africans in STEM. Edwin is from Zambia and is currently studying nuclear engineering in Russia. In this episode, we learn that he first became interested in science when he entered a science competition in junior secondary school. In senior secondary school, he participated in the same competition and went on to compete at a national level. It was there that he became interested in energy production. He then heard about an opportunity offered by the Zambian government for students to study nuclear engineering abroad, and he applied. He is currently a preparatory faculty member, which means he is learning both Russian and technical languages at the university in Russia. Edwin is an advocate for nuclear science and wishes to dispel the negative connotations associated with the field. Edwin is a goal-oriented young man full of enthusiasm, as shown by how he speaks in this episode. Tune in.
Facebook: Edwin Simfukwe
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Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 68
My guest today is Dr. Edith Phalane. She's from South Africa and currently a post-doctoral research fellow in environmental health at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. At the time of this recording, she had just been awarded her PhD in physiology. In this episode, we learn that Edith was from a small village, and from a young age, she was intrigued with how the human body functions. Her mother and uncle had the opportunity to go to university (this was a major accomplishment back then). That gave her a direction on where to go after high school to university- pursue a medical degree. She, unfortunately, didn't qualify for medicine but instead took a BSc in physiology. She was always an ambitious student and pursued honours, masters and, finally, a PhD. She has recently completed her PhD in physiology and got awarded the title of "Dr." She takes us through her academic journey (especially doing a PhD in the pandemic and taking care of 2 kids) up until the day she hit "send" to submit her thesis. We learn that her research project focused on the longitudinal cardiovascular health of South Africans living with HIV. We hear about this fascinating research and its importance. Tune for all this and more!
Twitter: @EdithPhalane1
Facebook & LinkedIn: Edith Phalane
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Hello everyone, welcome back to EP 67!
Today is a special one because I have not one -but TWO guests- team members from the African In STEM organization. Firstly, we have Cynthia Okoye, a PhD student in pharmacology from Nigeria. Secondly, Kagiso Loeto, PhD student in Materials Science from Botswana. In the episode, we learn that Africans in STEM was started in 2019 by four African scientists at the University of Cambridge who wanted to create a space for Africans in the UK researching STEM disciplines to network, connect, showcase their work and discuss issues regarding STEM in the context of the African continent and the diaspora. The inaugural symposium was held in June 2019 and had invited speakers and talks spanning academia, industry and science communication. We find out about the first symposium's success and discuss the next symposium. (at the time of the recording the details ofthe symposium were not finalized as yet, now they are) . The online event happening over 2 days from 23-24 April 2021. The team tells us what one can expect, how to be part of the event. Remember to register for the event with all links in the description box. We discussed other projects that Africans in STEM conducts apart from the symposium. Lastly, we chat about the amazing sponsors that have been beneficial in the past and present to achieve their goals.
Tune in as we hear about this and more
Register for symposium on website: https://www.africansinstem.co.uk/
Twitter: @AfricanInSTEM
Facebook: Africans In STEM
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Hello everyone!
Welcome to episode 66. Recently the podcast hit 6000 downloads which is a huge milestone! Thank you for tuning in and for the support so far.
My guest today is Marah Chibwana from Malawi. She's a medical doctor by profession and currently working as a junior clinician-scientist with an interest in Immunology. In this episode, we learn that she initially wanted to be a lawyer; however, with her mother's influence -who is a nurse- she pursued a career in medicine. We also chat about how she started to realize that clinical research is her passion and into the world of evidence-based medicine. Currently, Marah is the deputy lead for the COVID-19 research project for the Viral Immunology Research group at Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme (MLW). She tells how she got to be part of the organization and the fantastic research they have been doing during the pandemic. In September, she will be starting her master's program in Immunology at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. This process was not a straightforward one. We learn how she initially got a place; however, she could not accept the offer due to funding issues. She reapplied, and the 2nd time around she managed to get a scholarship. Lastly, we discuss her passion for training the next generation of scientists. She coordinates the Science for All Club at MLW, an initiative aimed at encouraging students in primary, secondary and tertiary education institutions to pursue clinical and biomedical science careers
Tune to hear all this and so much more!
Twitter: @Marah Chibwana
LinkedIn: Marah Grace Chibwana
Facebook: Marah Olannah Chibwana
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Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 65
Today, my guest is Tshiamiso Makwela, born in Soweto, South Africa, and now living in Capetown, South Africa. She's a PhD student in Astronomy Education Research at the University of Cape Town. In this episode, we learn that her mom was her biggest motivator or, as she calls her, "my tag team partner." Her mom's support was so vital as Tshiamiso was an inquisitive child who loved science even though she had no idea what science was. After reading about astronomy at a young age and watching the first South African land on the moon, she was convinced that astronomy was her field of choice. We get a deep dive into her astronomy educational journey, starting from Witswatersand University as an undergrad to Cape Town for her PhD. In her master's year, she combined her love for astronomy and education, which she continued to do in her PhD. She tells us about this exciting research in Astronomy Education Research, where she looks at ways of making astronomy content knowledge accessible to students and teachers. Tshiamiso tells us the importance of this great work. We learn that the best part of her research is that she interacts with the community, which has always been close to her heart. Lastly, we talk about inclusivity in Astronomy as a whole. Tune in
@dr_of_moon_ (Twitter and Instagram),
Tshiamiso Neo Makwela (Facebook)
Tshiamiso Makwela (LinkedIn)
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Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 64!!
My guest today is Kate Mwambo. She's born and based in Cameroon. In this episode, we learn that she is the youngest of 3, with 2 older brothers who are electrical engineers. Her dad, a Mathematician, would always encourage her to be an outstanding science student providing her the necessary support. Having received that support, Kate talks us through entering the field of petroleum technology at the undergraduate level, a predominantly male-dominated. Through pure will and determination, she made it and became the top student in her class and the entire school. Talk about inspiring!
She then explains to us what the field of petroleum engineering involves breaking down for us all. We then discuss the brand of women's clothing called STEMik clothing that she's recently started. The vision behind it and her overall goal to make "STEM fashionable." Lastly, we chat about her journey as a STEMI leader mentee and why mentorship, especially in STEM, is so important.
Tune in!
Twitter: @KateNanyongo
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Hello everyone, welcome to episode 63!
My guest today is Sinenhlanhla Sikhosana, aka Sne, born and bred in South Africa. She's a PhD candidate in astrophysics. Yes, we have another astrophysist this week, how exciting!
In this episode, we learn that she grew up in a village on the South Coast in South Africa. Maths and physics were her favorite subjects growing up. In her matric year (12 grade) she went to a Career Fair hosted by the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN), where she learned that a career in astrophysics was possible. Sne went on to attend UKZN however when she first enrolled there was no direct major in astrophysics (it's since changed). Instead, she did a double major in Applied Mathematics and Physics. At the time of recording, Sne had submitted her thesis 2weeks prior and after getting some well-deserved sleep she was anxiously waiting for her results to officially be Dr. Sikhosana. We learn about her exciting research which was to understand physical processes that occur in large structures in the universe (groups of galaxies bound together by gravity). She tells me more about this work and its importance as well as the practical aspects of being an astrophysicist. We then talk about the opportunities that being in this field of STEM has afforded her so far. One highlight for her was the first time being on a plane, from that she has had the priveledges of traveling to many parts of the world. It's important to mention that Sne finished her PhD during the worldwide pandemic and she tells us about how that was possible for her to get done.
Tune in to hear about all this and more!
Twitter: @sne_sikhosana
Facebook: Sinenhlanhla Precious Sikhosana
LinkedIn: Sinenhlanhla Sikhosana (LinkedIn)
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Hello! Welcome to Ep62.
My guest today is Abubakr Ibrahim a PhD student in astrophysics originally from Sudan and now based in Barcelona, Spain. In this episode, Abubakr tells us of l spent nights gazing at the clear night sky in his home town of Kinana when he was younger. The passion of seeing the stars mixed with his love of physics birthed his dream of being an astrophysicist. He tells us about studying in this field as well the opportunity it hasaafforded him to further his studies at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, for both honors and masters level. After completing his studies in Capetown he was afforded the opportunity to continue his journey for PhD at the Institute of Space Science in Spain.
His research is focused on a project called magnesia, searching for pulsar & magnetars in multi-band frequency. To get a better understanding we get a crash course on astrophysics from him. In this crash course, Abubakr let's us know a typical day in the life of an astrophysicist. Surprisingly enough it involves more coding than looking at the stars.
Tune as we hear about this and so much more!
For more info:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbubakrAstro.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Abubakr.Yagob
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Hello everyone, welcome back to episode 61!
Thank you once again for tuning in, if you are new please make sure you subscribe. My guest today is Jason Amartey a PhD student in medicine originally from Ghana but living and studying in the United Kingdom. He's currently a PhD student in medicine at Nottingham University. But before that, we get to hear the origin story. In this episode,Jason gets real with us about his high school career and some hurdles that he faced in the latter part of his school career. He went on to pursue a biomedical degree for undergraduate studies. Currently, his PhD research is on a type of cardiovascular disease called ischaemic disease. Jason explains exactly what that is and the importance of conducting this research.
Further, we hear about other projects he's part of CanvasofLife, a brand that he co-founded with his best friend. Secondly, being part of the organizing committee for BlackInCardio a campaign celebrating and showcasing black people in the field of cardiovascular research across the globe. Tune in as we hear about this and so much more!
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Hello everyone, welcome to episode 60!
Yes, SIX-ZERO. Can't believe we made it this far. Please continue to support the show and also go subscribe to your favorite podcast streaming app so you can be the first to know when an episode drops. My guest today is Chikondi Peno who is from Malawi now studying in Scotland. In this episode, we learn that her interest in science came in during her secondary school. She excelled in the science subjects and then went on to take do a BSc degree at undergrad level.
After finishing her first degree she wanted to explore the world of research and started working at Malawi Liverpool Welcome Trust. She got a scholarship from the trust and went on to pursue a Masters degree in infectious diseases. She's now a PhD student at Edinburgh University supported by the National Institute of Health and Research Unit on Mucosal pathogens (NIHR-MPRU) in the UK. This PhD research is focused on respiratory microbe and respiratory health, specifically in children in The Gambia, Africa. Chikondi tells us about this research and its importance. Further, we discuss how being an international student and being far away from home during the pandemic. The mental challenges and dealing with the anxiety related to worrying about your loved ones. We talk about so many more topics. Do join us
Twitter : @Chiko_peno
Instagram: Chiko Peno
LinkedIn: Chikondi Peno
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Hello everyone, welcome back to episode 59 of the podcasts. We've done many podcasts and it's always great to hear feedback from you either on social media platforms or by leaving a review on the Apple podcast platform. If you are listening on Apple podcasts, please take the time to rate and review the show quickly.
The guest for today is Raphael Onuku from Nigeria. He is affiliated with the University of Nigeria. Raphael is a pharmacist and computational chemist by profession. In this episode, we learn about the very inspiring story of his desire to get an education. Growing up, Raphael thought he would be a lawyer, but that changed when he learned about pharmaceutical chemistry and that's where the journey into science began. His research currently involves working on Neglected Tropical Diseases, namely malaria and TB, common in developing regions of the world. We learn about the importance of this scientific research and why he picked this field of research. Due to the current world climate where the focus is on the COVID-19 virus, we learn that Raphael is also providing some useful contributions to the virus's research. He is researching some African medicinal compounds (isolates) to study their effect on the virus strain. Lastly, we talk about the importance of African researchers to contribute to the research of the pandemic. Join in to hear more about all of this and so much more.
Twitter & Instagram: @raphaelboffin
LinkedIn & Facebook: Raphael Onuku
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Happy new year!!
I hope you are well and safe during this time and you hopefully got some time to rest. These past few weeks have been rather crazy globally, so we are hoping it not s repeat in 2021. Away from the doom and gloom, this year promises to be another exciting year featuring many AfricansInSTEM. We hope you will be with us on the incredible journey ahead. Today, my guest is Sophie Okolo, a science writer who is originally from Nigeria and currently based in the United States. In this episode, we have a quick chat about goals vs. resolutions. Sophie tells us some of her goals for the year ahead as we reflect on the lessons learned from 2020. We then discuss her journey from being research to her transitioning into an area that allowed her to impact people by choosing to do a master's in public health. The decision helped her get into the work of aging and gave birth to her own award-winning website called global health aging. Recently, Sophie became a science writer for Forbes Science, which is an amazing accomplishment. She lets us know how that happened and gives tips and tricks to anyone interested. Tune in because to hear about all this and so much more.
Twitter and Instagram: @sophieokolo; @GHealthAging
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophieaokolo/
Website: https://globalhealthaging.org/
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Hello everyone welcome to the last episode of the year! Yes, you heard right, we are going on a production break for a few weeks so that I can get time off and come back rejuvenated for the year ahead. In this episode, my guest is Yanga Mdleleni from South Africa. se tells us the main reason she got into STEM specifically HIV research is because a close family member was diagnosed with the virus. With this emotional experience, she was determined and curious to understand more about this virus. With the unwavering support of her mother she pursued her passion and went on to pursue a degree in STEM specifically HIV research as a virology student. Yanga takes us through her academic journey especially the hard transition from high school to university. Her current research for her PhD is on immune responses to HIV and HPV, the human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer. Yanga tells us more about her involvement in this research and its importance. Further, we speak about the non-profit organization she founded called the Nguta Foundation aimed at assisting youth and inspired by grandmother. Lastly, we delve into how she's dealt with personal losses in her family this past year. I ask her how she thinks academia can be more sensitive to students and how a supportive environment can be created as a loss in one's life takes a major toll on the academic performance and mental health of a person.
This was a wonderful conversation, tune in!
Twitter &Instagram: Yanga_md
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My guest today is Doreen Anene originally from Nigeria, currently based in the United Kingdom. In this episode, we learn that her mom was a major influence for her and her siblings to get into the field of science. Secondly, she also attributes her father who owned a pharmacy shop when she was a child and that perked her interest in pharmacy. One would think that's where her STEM path would take her but, Doreen tells us the story of how she went on to study Animal science instead. This started the trajectory of her academic career path which has now led to her to be a PhD student. She's currently enrolled at Nottingham University and her research is based on investigating the relationships and associations between Individual hen performance and egg quality. The focus is on brown shelled eggs, specifically the ISA Brown breed and it involves animal husbandry, molecular biology studies, proteomics, and microbiology. Doreen tells us more about this research and its importance. Further, we discuss the organization that she founded called The STEM Belle we learn what was the motivation for starting this cause and discuss the projects they have rolled out and how people can be involved. Tune in as we hear about this and more!
Twitter: @AneneDoreen, @TheSTEMBelle
Facebook and IG: @doreendiera
LinkedIn: Doreen Anene, RAS
Website: https://thestembelle.com/about-us/
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My guest today is Dr. Bathabile Ramalapa from South Africa. In this episode, we learn that at a young age her interest in science came from the realization that scientists are the source of innovation and develop products that solve problems faced by people. This fueled her desire to pursue a field in STEM and Bathabile takes us through her academic journey. In doing so, we find out how she went on to pursue a dual PhD in chemical science and pharmaceutical sciences where she spent 2years in Belgium and France respectively to complete this program. We then discuss how she managed to do this dual program and the perks of traveling across Europe in the process! Currently, she is a senior researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), which focuses on the development of advanced drug delivery systems for drugs presenting low absorption, low bioavailability, toxicity and overall patient non-compliance specifically for diseases with a high burden in Africa. She tells us more about this research and its importance. Lastly, we discuss candidly why she's passionate about the representation of black women in STEM and loads more, tune in!
@drbathabs on Twitter & Instagram, Bathabile Ramalapa on LinkedIn
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My guest today is Tapiwa Nyakauru originally from Zimbabwe but now living and studying in Ireland. In this episode, Tapiwa shares that his parents were the major motivating factor for him to get into STEM. His academic journey was not an easy one and he gets into detail about some challenges he overcame to be where he is today, a PhD student in molecular biology. He is working on a project that focuses on the identification of genes in water hyacinth and water lettuce which are plants that are responsible for the accumulation of heavy metals from water. Tapiwa tells us more about his involvement in this project and its importance. Lastly, I discuss with him how he navigates his PhD s journey especially when things become challenging in his academic life. In particular, we discuss the implications of the pandemic to his research and how that was handled especially the work from home transition. Tune in as we hear about all this and so much more.
Twitter: @TapiwaNyakauru1.
Facebook: Tapiwa Nyakauru.
Linkedln: Tapiwa Nyakauru
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My guest today is Bonaventure Dossou, who is originally from Benin but now currently based in Germany. In this episode, we learn that Bonaventure actually wanted to become a doctor however he is now in IT. He attributes his interests in science to his father who is a mathematician and architect. Bonaventure says that he loves IT because of the ability that allows him to combine his love for mathematics and gave him the liberty to be innovative. For undergrad, he went to study in Russia to attain his BSc in Mathematics. We discuss about his experience there as an international student and one of the two African students in his entire class. Further, upon completion of this BSc degree, Bonaventure moved to Germany where he recently started his MSc doing data engineering Jacobs University, Bremen. Apart from his masters research, Bonaventure is working on an independent project called the FFR: Fon-French Neural Machine Project, which aims to create a robust machine translation system for the Fon language, his native language from Benin. We learn more about this work and its importance. Lastly, we discuss his Guinness World Record win at the National Russian Hackathon, you gotta hear this very inspiring story about rising against the odds. Tune in to learn more about all this and so much more!
Twitter: @bonadossou
Facebook:Bonaventure Dossou
Instagran: @bona.dossou
LinkedIn: Bonaventure Dossou
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My guest today is Asafu Thomas born in Liberia, raised in the USA and currently residing in Tanzania. This episode is a little bit different as we find out the unique root of Asafu science as he actually started as a biology major and later switched to economics and finance. He went on to work in the digital marketing space where he actively started thinking about starting his own business. He started various other companies on his journey as an entrepreneur, one of those being Naya-Labs. A company outsourcing development work to engineers on the African Continent where he's the CEO. He tells us more about the work and how it was the genesis for him to be a co-founder for Built in Africa(BIA) . "A platform to connect trailblazers of the African diaspora through the unifying language of technology". We find out more about BIA's work and the various projects they are working on. Plus how interested individuals can be involved. Lastly, we learn about the exciting plans BIA has for the future. Tune in to learn about this and so much more!
Website:https://www.builtinafrica.io/about
Twitter: @builtinafrica_ & @AsafuThomas
Instagram: @builtinafrica.io
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Welcome back to season 2!
In the season 2 trailer, we announced that we will be adding a new addition by featuring people who are established in the field of STEM. To kick things off my guest today is Prof Salome Maswime. She's a qualified clinical scientist who specializes in obstetrics and gynaecology. Currently, she is the head of Global Surgery at the University of Cape Town South Africa. In this episode, we learn that as a child Prof Salome grew up in an academic family. She had the dream of attaining a PhD even after deciding on a career in medicine. She certainly fulfilled this dream as she went on to get a masters and PhD degrees after qualifying as a clinician and talks us through her journey. Prof Salome's main research interests are in global surgery, specifically related to caesarean sections and placental causes of stillbirths. She tells us more about this work and why it is so important. Furthermore, we discuss how her time as a practising clinician. Now as her role as a Professor of Global Surgery at the University of Cape Town where she teaches and supervise postgrad students she tells us about the transition into the academic working space. Lastly, we touch on what more needs to be done to create opportunities for young people to access role models and mentors such as herself.
Tune for all of this and more!
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WE ARE BACK!!!
In this episode, I talk you through what to expect in season two... yes, that's right ..SEASON TWO!!
This season there are two major changes:
1. Last season the main focus was interviewing early-career people in STEM in this season, there is an added element of interviewing people who are already established in the field of STEM. This is to gain insight on how to get ahead in the STEM field and how the individuals navigated their paths over the years.
2. Big announcement: the show will no longer be airing biweekly, it will only air EVERY MONDAY.
Apart from those changes, everything stays the same from the show you have come to love. I look forward to the exciting journey with you all!
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"Hello everyone and welcome to episode 50 of the Root of the Science Podcasts! Yes, you heard me, 50 whole episodes. For those of you who are hearing my voice for the first time, this is Nathasia Muwanigwa; I am Zimbabwean PhD student currently in Luxembourg and the cofounder of Visibility STEM Africa. I am so incredibly honored to be guest hosting the final episode of season 1 of the Root of the Science podcasts, where I will be chatting with the amazing Anne with an E, picking up from episode 49 where we mainly focused on the root of her science and her journey in STEM. I just want to start off this podcast by saying how proud I am of Anne for everything she has been able to achieve over these last few months with this podcast. As someone who is passionate about amplifying the voices of Africans in STEM, I have so much gratitude for the work that Anne has done in creating this beautiful and inspiring space, where African scientists can tell their stories in an authentic way. It is only fitting that we wrap up the season with Anne telling us a bit more about what motivated her to birth the idea of this podcast and how she took that idea and turned it into a reality. She recaps some of the gems that stuck with her from previous episodes and acknowledges the many people who helped her through this journey. Finally, we talk about the future – the future of the podcast, Anne’s future on a professional and personal note, and what season 2 will have in store for us. Thank you so much for tuning in, and enjoy this amazing episode!"
- Nathasia Muwanigwa
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"Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 49 of The Root of the Science Podcasts. As you can probably tell this episode is going to be little different, we’re flipping the script a little bit. My name is Nathasia Muwanigwa; I am a Zimbabwean PhD student currently in Luxembourg and the cofounder of Visibility STEM Africa. I have the incredible privilege of guest hosting the season finale of the Root of the Science podcasts, and my amazing guest is none other than the inspiring founder and host of this podcast, Miss Anne with an E herself. In part one of the season 1 finale, we get to learn more about Miss Anne Chisa, a Malawian who’s spent 20 years living in South Africa. She details her journey into STEM, which was far from smooth sailing, and she tells us about the different challenges she faced from high school, undergrad and Master’s level and how she was able to overcome them through hard work, perseverance and the incredible support of her parents. She tells us about her latest endeavor - a PhD in the Agricultural Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, and gives us an insight into the fascinating transdisciplinary project she is involved in that seeks to restore local environments and ecosystems in rural areas through tree planting and sustainably repurposing waste. Tune in to hear all about this and so much more, I am so excited for you all to get inspired by this incredible gem of a young woman. Enjoy!" - Nathasia Muwanigwa
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My guest today is Nkhensani Mogale from South Africa who is currently a lecturer of anatomy at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. In this episode, we learn that was fascinated by the human body when studying life sciences in high school. Naturally, she wanted to be a medical doctor but unfortunately, it didn't work out. Instead she went on to pursue medical sciences where she was exposed to subjects such as anatomy. Nkhensani will explain how her journey was a winding road. She also became a mom while pursuing her various qualifications that added to the load and she tells us how she navigated and struck the work-home balance. Despite the bumps in the road Nkensani has thrived and has gained notable recognition in her field. She tells us about the projects she works on that is focusing on the link between clinical anatomy and orthopedics. Tune in to learn all this and so much more!
Twitter and Instagram: @Nkhensanimogale
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My guest today is Anna Ampaw who is of Ghanian descent living in Canada. In this episode, we learn that Anna actually wanted to be a dentist she will explain further that her academic journey was not straight and narrow and unfortunately the dentist dream did not come to pass. Currently, a chemistry PhD student at the University of Ottawa, Canada. Her research focuses on synthesizing small molecule carbohydrates for the purpose of decreasing cell damage during cryopreservation. We get into understanding this fascinating research and Anna clears up any misconceptions that Sci-Fi movies might have taught us about cryopreservation. Apart from the research, Anna is working on her own individual outreach project for women in STEM that are either at the undergraduate, graduate, or young professional level she hopes to execute summer 2021 in Ghana. Linking to this we discuss the importance of Africans, especially those in the Diaspora, to come back to Africa and assist projects for the advancement of other Africans in their home country. Tune in!
Twitter and Instagram: @anna_thechemist
LinkedIn: Anna AMpaw
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My guest today is Silindokuhle (Silindo) Mavuso from South Africa. In this episode, we learn that Silindo has a vast musical background. However, he also has an aptitude for science and as a result, picked the latter to pursue further. He takes us through the journey of him getting into the field of geology and archeology. Currently, he is PhD candidate at the school of geoscience at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. Focusing on identifying and explaining past environments that are associated with early human life and advancement through time in Kenya. He tells us more about this work and its importance. Further, we discuss his roles as the project manager of the National Geographic “Umsuka” Public Palaeoanthrology Project that aims to bring research conducted by the project to educate people about human evolution and the recent podcast "Digging In" that he co-founded. Lastly, we discuss how Silindo has navigated being in this field that is predominantly white and how it has affected the type of researcher that he is now. Tune in.
Twitter: @Mavumavu91
LinkedIn: Silindokuhle Mavuso
Podcasts link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1272461
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My guest today is Dr Chinwe Iwu-Jaja, a public health specialist, originally from Nigeria and based in South Africa. In this episode, we learn that away from the science she's a convener for "Gals International FrankTalk (GIFT)" a group that discusses various topics that concern women in the 21st century. With regards to how her interest in public health started, she attributes this to when she was younger and she visited the local clinics. Chinwe says that she saw the public health posters and she was eager to be involved in this field. Currently, she is a post-doc at Stellenbosch University, involved in different projects. Due to the prevalence of the pandemic, it has forced researchers to deviate their research and focus on the virus. We discuss one of the projects where she wrote several comments on the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular "The impact of burial ceremonies on the spread COVID-19". Further, we talk about her blog called "Health facts with Chinwe", where she shares health information with the public. Lastly, we unpack the importance of public health experts in the dissemination of accurate information and the backfire that they sometimes face educating people who do not agree with their expert views. Tune in to learn more about all this and so much more!
Twitter: @Chinwejaja
Facebook: Chinwe Juliana Jaja
Link to join the GIFT WhatsApp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GULqfxOfvjQIbVwk8OKKlh
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As we approach 50 episodes we have invited fans of the show to send through a voice recording telling us about themselves and their favorite episode.
Today we have Nompelelo Maseko from Pretoria, South Africa a graduate student in social work her favorite episode ft Mark Chingumbe (Ep 42)
Take a listen!
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My guest today is Keabetswe Ncube from Pretoria South Africa. In this episode, we learn that getting into science was very natural as she was raised into a very science and agricultural family. Kea attributes a major influence in getting into the field of STEM to her mom who was a Life Science teacher. A PhD student in genetics, her research focus is on gene expression profiling for growth and carcass genetics of goats. She tells us more about this work, specifically how she ended up working on goats which is her unique selling point. Further, we discuss her journey into opening her own company called Kea Ncube Agri Services where this is a business where she offers scientific solutions to agricultural problems. Lastly, we discuss how Kea gets a balance on all her projects. Tune in as we hear about all this and so much more.
Contact her business line: +27 604104797
Twitter: @Kea_Ncube, Instagram: @keaboo & @keancube_agriservices
Website: keabetswencube.co.za
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As we approach 50 episodes we have invited fans of the show to send through a voice recording telling us about themselves and their favorite episode.
Today we have Samantha Cooke from Midlands in the United Kingdom her favorite episode ft Dr Steven Mathesta (Ep 36)
Take a listen!
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My guest today is Aviwe Matiwane from Eastern Cape in South Africa. She's a Paleobotonist based at the Albany Museum. In this episode, we learn that she is a "dog mommy" and is her "grandparents child". This played a crucial role in her love and for knowledge for plants. She got into Paleobotony after volunteering at the Albany Museum. Currently, Aviwe is a PhD student at Rhodes University in South Africa. Her work involves finding the best descriptive features to identify and name Glossopteris. Aviwe gives us some context by telling us what is Glossopteris and the importance of this work. She is an avid nature enthusiast and science communicator, in fact, is known as the “plant detective" and runs the “Fossil Friday” campaign on Twitter and, she tells us about this. Aviwe informs us that in South Africa there are only 3 Paleobotonist in the country and she speaks about the importance of science researchers sharing their research to get other people aware of opportunities available for them. Lastly, we discuss candidly some general challenges faced by postgrads. Tune in to hear about all this.
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As we approach 50 episodes we have invited fans of the show to send through a voice recording telling us about themselves and their favorite episode.
Today we have Zizo Lusiki an honors graduate in genetics fro the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She tells us about her favorite episode ft Ndoni Mcunu (Ep 2 )
Take a listen!
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My guest today is Mark Chingumbe from Zambia. In this episode, we learn that like most African students he wanted to pursue a route in the medical field. That did not come to pass instead he went to the field of agricultural science. He pursued a BSc at the University of Zambia his research was on evaluating sweet sorghum genotypes for high grain yield and Brix content. Mark, tells us more about this work and the importance. Further, we discuss the public perceptions of using sorghum as an alternative to maize. We hear Mark's opinion on the need for support by the government for young people to want to pursue an academic career in this field. Lastly, we discuss some of his aspirations to further your studies, what are your future plans... It involves calling him "your excellency".
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As we approach 50 episodes we have invited fans of the show to send through a voice recording telling us about themselves and their favorite episode.
Today we have Tony Brandon Madzinga an undergrad student in crop production at Midlands College in Zimbabwe. He tells us about his favorite episodes ft Dr Steven Mathesta (Ep 36 ) and Mthokozisi Moyo (Ep 28)
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Tumisang Ntereke is originally from Botswana, now studying in the United Kingdom. In this episode, we learn that she fell in love with the field of genetics during a biology class in high school. As we most African students who were gifted in Maths and science, she pursued medicine. Fortunately, that dream took a detour after being awarded a scholarship that paid for her A-Levels and allowed her to further pursue her studies abroad. She got into the field of medical genetics and has stayed until postgraduate level. Currently, Tumie is a PhD student in cancer genetics specializing in breast cancer detection at the University of Leicester. The focus is on developing biomarkers of breast cancer from exosomes. She tells us more about this very exciting research, and its importance. Tumie also tells us how she's adjusting to "the new normal," as some institutions have opened for scientists to get back lab-based work.
Furthermore, we find out that Tumie has a YouTube channel called TumieTerry, where she vlogs on her lifestyle as well as the Science aspect to address the stereotypes that scientists are "boring." Lastly, we talk about how she deals with imposter syndrome in a space where there's very little representation of people who look like her. Tune in for this and so much more!
Twitter & Instgram: @TumisangNtereke
Youtube: TumieTerry
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As we approach 50 episodes we have invited fans of the show to send through a voice recording telling us about themselves and their favorite episode.
Today we have Letta Ntuli and MSc student in chemical engineering from Pretoria. She tells us about her favorite episode with Sandra Phoma (Ep 38)
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My guest today is James Azam from Ghana, who is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. In this episode, we learn that he wanted to be work in the military as he grew up he realized that science had a diverse career choice. He went on to be a national Ghanaian science and maths TV show that influenced him to love the science field even more. He is currently pursuing his PhD in mathematics, specializing in epidemiological modeling to evaluate mitigation strategies for measles outbreaks. We hear about this research & how he got into this specialized field.
Furthermore, we discuss his recent Forbes Science feature. Lastly, James informs us about his YouTube channel by name James Azam. There he provides tutorials on some common academic tools, social media usage, productivity tools, etc. Tune in to hear all about this and so much more!
Twitter: @james_azam,
LinkedIn: James Azam
Instagram: ha_mez_
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My guest today is Emmie who is originally from Zimbabwe but now living and studying at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa. In this episode, we learn Emmie has always been curious and fell in love with the field of chemistry during her practical in high school. Emmie completed her undergrad in Zimbabwe came to South Africa to further her studies for her Masters and now PhD. Her research focuses on the synergy between experimental and computational chemistry in understanding the structure and redox reactivity of transition metal complexes. As an award-winning science communication speaker, she eloquently tells us more about this work and its importance. In fact, she tells us more about how she was bestowed with this prestigious title and her love for science engagement initiatives. Lastly, we discuss how Emmie navigates being a black female international student in South Africa and specifically at her institution. Stay tuned to find out about all this and so much more!
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My guest is Sandra Phoma, she's from Mafikeng and studying in Pretoria, South Africa. In this episode, we learn that growing up Sandra had many interests ranging from arts, sports, and academic activities. After taking a gap year, she decided to focus on science and after fell in love with it. She tells us that she ventured into the field of ocean science with the skills she learned from her honors and a Masters's degree in microbiology. Currently, Sandra is a PhD candidate in ocean microbial ecology. Her work involves understanding the diversity, biogeography and functionality of the ocean microbiome. The sampling area includes waters south of Africa (South Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean). She tells us about this research and the importance. During the PhD Sandra has had the opportunity to mentor, teach, and help lead other young scientists which she enjoyed. The European Union has also recognized Sandra as the South African ambassador for the All-Atlantic Ocean Youth youth program that helps connect local communities back to the ocean. Sandra mentions that despite the many successes in her academic journey, it can be a lonely one, primarily as a first-generation postgraduate student. Lastly, Sandra tells us how she would run her own lab if she was a supervisor, Beyonce is involved! Tune in to hear all about it and more.
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My guest today is Rivoningo Khosa, she's from Limpopo, South Africa and now based in Johannesburg. In this episode, we learn how she got into the field of geology with the help of a friend, 10years later she has not looked back. Currently, she is a PhD student in geology at the Human Evolution Research Institute at the University of Cape Town. Her research work is a continuation of her Masters. The research focuses on trying to understand the erosion of fluvial systems in South Africa, particularly in the arid region. The Masters work focused on understanding the erosion rates between rocks along the Vaal River in the Vredefort Dome. The Vaal River flows into the Orange River (the biggest river in the country) and as a continuation study, she wants to investigate whether the results observed in the same fluvial basin are translated further down. Rivoningo tells us more about this work and the importance of linking to the United Nations sustainable development goals. We dig a little deeper about the field of geology to learn more about the best part of being in the field and the opportunities avaible which is more than "working in the mine". Lastly, Rivoningo opens up and tells us about a time during her early academic career where she failed and had to start her degree from scratch. She attributes overcoming that failure and succeeding to the help of her family as they have been so important in her getting to this stage of her life. Tune in
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My guest today is Dr. Steven Mathets is an environmentalist and water research scientist. He is from Limpopo, but currently based in Pretoria, South Africa. In this episode, we learn the inspirational story of how being from the village he had no inspiration for school or even STEM but, with the influence of his aunt, he was motivated to take up science subjects to be a medical doctor. The medical doctor dream did not come to pass but he was recently awarded a doctorate from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. He pursued his studies part-time while working in the industry. He tells more about his work as a senior scientist in testing and development division. In doing so, we clear up some misconceptions people have in his area of expertise as an environmental scientist. Lastly, we discuss the opportunities that being in science has afforded him. Tune in to find out more.
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My guest is Stephanie Itimi; she's a 25year old originally from Nigeria but now based in London. She is a PhD Researcher in information security at Royal Halloway University, founder of Seidea. In this episode, we learn that Stephanie is also an artist; she expresses her self using photography combined with her love for digital security and her economics background. She helps us understand how she transitioned from an economics background into cybersecurity. Stephanie is the founder of Seidea, a social enterprise focused on Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic women groups which helps educate and empower them to in getting into the cybersecurity field. Stephanie is enthusiastic about internet education, digital literacy, and security. As an extension of Seidea, she's also the host of a podcast called Seipod. The podcast creates online security awareness, gives more details about this venture. Lastly, Stephanie informs us about some people who have inspired her on her journey. Tune in as we hear about this and so much more!
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Brooks Musangu is a PhD student in nuclear physics. He is originally from Zambia and is now studying in America. Before college, he was introduced to the United States Achievers program that picked the best-performing students from Zambia to study in America. In this episode, we learn that he's currently a PhD student in nuclear physics at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, USA. He is studying low energy experimental nuclear physics. Specifically, studying the nuclear structure of neutron-rich nuclei. He explains this research in detail and the significance of the research. Brooks talks us through a typical day in the lab (pre-COVID) ,and some of the opportunities being in STEM have afforded him. Lastly, we discuss the "hot topic" of young Africans who study abroad, who tend to set firm roots in the new country with some not returning to their country of origin. We get his take on this controversial topic. Take a listen to hear about all this and so much more!
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Adama Saccoh is originally from Sierra Leone; she is now based in the United Kingdom(UK). In this episode, we learn that Adama came to continue her studies in the UK and aspired to be a medical doctor. Unfortunately, that dream did not come true, Adama explains that after processing the rejections, she realized that she craved knowledge and she could feed her need for knowledge by pursuing other STEM opportunities. Currently, Adama is an MSc student in Medical Ultrasound. She is studying echocardiography- i.e., using ultrasound to image and diagnose various heart conditions. We also find out that Adama has a blog, TheCatlystInMe (TCIM), which started as a hobby to fix a problem that she faced in undergrad of not knowing what to do with her degree. She profiles people across the world as a source of representation and "an idea starter" for anyone thinking of a career within the life or healthcare science fields. Lastly, we discuss a survey she conducted on the people's perception of science, especially during the world pandemic. Take a listen for all this and more.
Twitter: @AhhDamnHer & @catalystinme_
Instagram: @thecatalystinme
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Mbali Gwacela is a South African, studying and lecturing at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). In 2019 she was the recipient of the "Wonder Women in Science" award by UKZN and was termed "The Accidental Scientist." In this episode, she explains that she initially had no plans of getting into the science field as she was in Social science. She entered the agricultural science field in her honors program and has since stayed. Mbali explains she adjusted into the science due to her hard work ethic and always aspiring to do her best. Currently, she's a doctoral candidate and discusses her study that examines the local food system, particularly community food production and consumption.
Furthermore, Mbali explains the situation in her PhD journey that forced her to change supervisors three times. She advises other postgrads on the supervisors/student relationship. Lastly, we talk about how she deals with her mental health due to the constant pressures of always feeling like she needs to do well, especially when external factors such as family crisis or the pandemic that we are all experiencing happens. Take a listen in to learn about this and so much more!
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My guest today is Dr. Asma Bashir, Ugandan-American, currently a postdoc fellow in Scotland. She's traveled a lot in her life. Being born from Ugandan parents in America, she's also lived in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Qatar, Canada, and England. In this episode, we learn how living in different countries played a role in her personal development and world views. Secondly, she admits that she never intended to be in STEM, but some very pivotal people made science an option to her by presenting ideas that excited her to learn further. Asma recently completed her PhD in neuroscience at the University of British Columbia, Canada. She tells us about that research, then explains her Post-doc research that she started this year. This research focuses on working towards understanding blood vessels and their specialised cells within the brain. Lastly, we discuss the podcast she started last year called Her Royal Science Podcast. She explains why she started the podcast and some of the guests who are featured. Find out about this and so much more!
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Paulin Kantue refers to himself as a citizen of the world. He is born from Cameroonian parents in Italy, moved to South Africa for most of his adult life, and now he is based in Europe. In this episode, we learn that his early influence on STEM started at a young age, but being an aeronautical engineer was cemented in 10th grade. He breakdowns exactly what an aeronautical engineer is and explains the differences between the aerospace and aeronautical engineer. He currently a PhD student in intelligent drone research at Witswatersrand University, South Africa, he is completing his final year remotely. Paulin has 13 years of work experience and he tells us about his past work at ATE aerospace and Denel, where he worked as a chief flight control system engineer and, he tells us about some exciting projects. Lastly, he tells us about Uav4africa a company he founded in 2018. This, is the only privately-owned African aerospace company involved in academically-recognized research, and development that was developed to solve African problems. Find out about all this and so much!
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My guest today is Diane Uwacu, originally from Rwanda, and now studying in the USA. She's a Ph.D. student in computer science at A&M University. In this episode, we learn that she had she gained a scholarship to study in the US for her tertiary education. There she met great teachers who were well invested in her success who noticed that she was good at algorithms. Currently, she's a Ph.D. student specializing in computational biology and machine learning algorithms. Her research is in designing motion planning algorithms applied in computational biology and robotics. She tells us about this research and talks us through a typical day in the lab. We also touch on tips and advice she wished she had received, as an international student, when she came to study in a foreign country. Tune in to learn about this and so much more!
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Mthokozisi "Mtho" Moyo, is originally from Zimbabwe but living and studying in South Africa. He's an environmental science PhD candidate at Witwatersrand University. In this episode, Mtho admits that he has always been a lover of science but was unsure which specific field he wanted to do. He dabbled in different types of science in undergrad and finally settled into environmental science. Currently, his PhD research aims to understand what caused rainfall seasonality in Africa during the Miocene. Looking at traits that are important to survive in seasonal environments focused on plants, but not limited to plants. However, before Mtho got into his PhD studies, he took time off to work for SAEON, where he worked in science engagement with high school learners. He is very passionate about this, and he continues to mentor the learners. He hopes in working with the learners he gets to impart the necessary skills and knowledge that they can use in any science career or their everyday life. Lastly, he is passionate about representation in science, in particular, of black African climate change scientists and is proud to be part of that group that is setting the trail for the upcoming black African climate change researchers. Take a listen to hear all about it!
Twitter and Instagram: @Mtho_Moyo
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My guest is Tapoka Mkandawire, originally from Malawi, but has been living and studying in the UK since she was 18. In this episode, we learn that her key influence to STEM came from her parents, who are both medics; however, she did not take the same route. Currently, she's a student at Sanger Institute doing her PhD at Cambridge University, England, in the field of parasitology and molecular biology. Her research work is focused on the human gut mainly, interested in gut bacteria and whipworms. Lastly, Tapoka opens up and shares a very emotive, honest and, real story about dealing with the stress, failures and hard feelings that are far too common to a postgrad student. This is a story that she shared at, Story Collider, event that happened at Cambridge University in June 2019. The purpose of the event is to give science students an opportunity to tell their stories about their life. It was amazing you have to give it a listen!
Twitter: @Tapoka_M
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My guest today is Nomhle Ngwenya, she's a 23-year-old South African studying at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. In this episode, she recalls her deep love for geography stemming from primary school. Nomhle had a dream about being a metrologist even though the dream did not come to be; she still stayed in Geography. Currently, she second-year PhD candidate in the School of Geography and Environmental Studies. Her research is based on how green bonds, which is an emerging climate finance, can be a financial mechanism for carbon capture and storage (CCS) in South Africa. CCS has been identified as a critical technology to mitigate high carbon emissions, especially for developing countries like South Africa that are heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Secondly, in our discussion, we talk about the importance of science communication to get people to be more engaged in STEM. She adds that by utilizing the media, one can use it to reach a broad audience without any geographic restrictions. Lastly, we touch on how she balances "Nomhle as an individual" and "Nomhle, the PhD candidate." Tune in to listen to this and more.
Twitter: @nomhle_noms
Instagram: nomhle_ngwenya
LinkedIn: Nomhle Ngwenya
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My guest is Patrick Musau. He identifies as Kenyan but also grew up in Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Currently, he is a PhD student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, USA. In this episode, we learn about how he always had a great fascination with technology from a young age. Now, in his PhD, Patrick is working on problems related to ensuring that autonomous systems operate safely and function as intended. He applies these techniques to autonomous remote-controlled cars and drone applications. Autonomous systems are an exciting area and have the potential to revolutionize industries, and we discuss how close we are to this from actually happening. Lastly, we delve into the personal experience of how he has dealt with feelings of self-doubt during his journey and so much more! Stay tuned
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My guest is Zakithi Mkhize from South Africa. In this episode, we find out that she had a dream of being a medical doctor that did not work out as planned. However, life led her to still pursue an academic career in medicine. Currently, she is a PhD Candidate in Medicine (Virology) at the HIV Pathogenesis Program at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. Her research focuses on a particular gene called the transactivator of transcription (Tat), which enhances HIV replication and its interaction with host transcription factor positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFB). She studies how genetic variation in Tat can affect its interaction with P-TEFB, efficient transcription, and latency. Latency is a significant barrier to HIV cure. Thus, her research will inform HIV cure studies. Zakithi also has a YouTube channel called ‘BlackGirlScientist’. The channel is geared toward motivating, encouraging & inspiring young black people, especially black women, to get into science. She shares her journey through science as well as knowledge & expertise. She aims to break stereotypes and make science cool. Lastly, we also talk about the #CelebratingYouthinSTEM #BlackInSTEMSA campaign that we are running in collaboration with The Root of the Science Podcasts. The importance of this campaign during South Africa's Youth Month. Stay tuned.
Twitter: @Zakkie_M
Instagram: @Zakkie_M & @blackgirl.scientist
LinkedIn: Zakithi Mkhize
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My Guest today is Laila Hansrod, she is a South African who recently completed her Masters in Geography and Environmental Management at the University of KwaZulu Natal South Africa. In this episode, we learn how her high school geography teacher played a significant role in her getting into the field as she birthed her love for geography and the Environment. Laila's Masters research focused on the role of NGOs in increasing agricultural market access among female smallholder farmers. She was inspired to focus her research on rural women as they are a marginalized population with not many interventions being for THEM specifically. Currently, Laila has a job at Jive Media Africa, where she is a Project manager. She manages various science communication projects; one, in particular, is science SPaza. A spaza shop is a local slang for a shop where one can get their essentials, and the science spaza project provides science essentials. This is a physical copy that is distributed every month to disadvantaged communities. Lastly, we discuss how she dealt with the work-academia-life balance, which sometimes can be so overwhelming! To hear more, tune in!
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My guest today is Dr. Mariam "Ria" Garelnabi. She's of a Ugandan and Sudanese heritage and moved to the UK, where she is still based, after high school, to pursue her tertiary education. In this episode, we learn how from an early age, she was interested in science and was encouraged by her teachers. She completed her PhD last year at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom and is now a Postdoctoral Researcher working at the University of Roehampton London. The research focuses on testing new compounds from the cannabis plant to be used as immunotherapies towards a variety of immune disorders. We discuss how some of the stigma associated with the use of cannabis for medicinal use still exists in society. Lastly, I open the discussion of how one navigates being an international student in a foreign country and being accustomed to different culture. Tune in to hear about this and more.
Twitter: @Ria_MissG
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My guest today is Phazha Bothongo, a 23 year old South African, born in Botswana, and currently living in the United Kingdom. She has completed her MSc. in Neuroscience and Translational Medicine at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and went on to do PhD at the Preventive Neurology Unit, Wolfson Institute. In this episode, we learn that the one particular life event influenced her choice of getting into the field of science, was when her grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. She discovered there was no cure for it and went on to study to pursue Neuroscience. Phazha chose this field so that her research can have an impact and contribute to the knowledge of neuroscience. The PhD research is focused on the effects of socio-economic deprivation and ethnicity on the risk of dementia in Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups in comparison to the White population. Black African and Caribbean, are at risk and to more likely develop dementia at a younger age and get diagnosed for early-onset dementia (before 65 years), than their White counterparts. This research is so important as there is very little research on the Black demographic. Interesting right? Well, you better tune to learn more about Phazha breaks this research down for us, including so much more!
Twitter & Instagram: phazha_bothongo
LinkedIn: Phazha Bothongo
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My guests today is two ladies Dr. Evodia Setati and Thato Motlhalamme. Evodia, a South African, is a chief researcher at the South African Grape and Wine Research Institute at Stellenbosch University. Thato, from Botswana, is a Postdoc Fellow also at the institute, who recently completed her PhD. In this episode, we learn more about the book that they have co-authored. The book title is Holding the Knife's Edge: Essays of Black Female Scientists in South Africa. This project came about after noticing that there was a shortlist of female black scientists in South Africa to be role models for upcoming female researchers. The book tells the stories of pioneering South African women in Science who have climbed the professional ladders to the upper ranks of various organizations through innovation, academic excellence, social intelligence, authentic leadership, and tenacity. Their stories tell of a deep hunger for knowledge, a determination and commitment to succeed, and a work ethic that ensured that success. Evodia and Thato call this project their labor of love that required sacrifices and investment of time and finance. This has since paid off as the book is with the editors and due to be released by August 2020 which women's month in South Africa. Stay tuned to find out more about this amazing project.
For more details:
Twitter: @holdingtheknife , @thatoym, @setati_evodia
Instagram: holdingtheknifesedge
LinkedIn: Thato Motlhalamme & Evodia Setati
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My guest is South African, Richard Hay. He is finalizing his MSc in Agronomy at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. He attributes his interests in science, mainly agricultural, to his childhood, where he grew up on his grandfather farm, who was a qualified plant breeder. Richard believes that there needs to be a change in the mindset that agriculture is not a "complex science. " He believes that social media can be a tool to change this stigma. In this episode, we learn about his master's research that examines how small-scale and emerging commercial farmers are using social media to connect and share information. The study also looks at how researchers can use the platforms for effective science communication. Richard further elaborates that there is a huge need for these online platforms as the small-scale are hungry for the information that is relevant to them about the theory of agricultural science to upskill themselves. To find out more about this research and the root of Richard's science, do stay tuned.
Twitter: @haysharvest
LinkedIn: Richard Hay
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Wendy Geza is a PhD student in food security at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. She had no intention of getting into the STEM field, she wanted to be an accountant, but a particular incident brought her to this field. She has since settled into the agricultural area and believes that to achieve sustainable development goals, it warrants the creation of economic opportunities for young people in agriculture. As a result, her research aims to promote better youth engagement and participation in agriculture in Africa. In this episode she emphasizes the point of creating spaces in the agricultural sector that interests young people.
As you know, agricultural does not have a "glamorous appeal." Due to this fact, Wendy elaborates that there is a need for the sector to be better packaged. In a manner that will get meet the goals that young people ant aspire for and in the process, get more students into the field by exposing them to the other aspects of the area other than just primary agriculture. To find out about what those fields are, and more about Wendy, do stay tuned.
Twitter: @WendyGeza
LinkedIn: Wendy Geza
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Phumlani Msomi, from South Africa, is a chemistry lecturer and researcher at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, where he is one of the youngest members in his faculty! He believes that Africans need to work on technologies that can make Africa an industrial place to solve the problems faced by the people who live on the continent. He is currently working on developing new types of power sources that are cleaner and environmentally friendly. In this episode, Phumlani explains his research in which the use of power sources such as fuel cells, flow batteries & ethanol batteries as an alternative to the lithium battery currently on the market. The research aims to provide people in rural areas of South Africa with self-sustainable energy. Sounds like a good plan, right? Well, to hear more about this, you have to tune in! You will learn much more about his upbringing and the Root of his science.
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Lameck Mbangula Amugongo, from Namibia, is a student at the University of Manchester in the UK. He refers to himself as a "Tech Activist" who loves to inspire more people to be involved in the field of technology. Lameck's background is computer science; however, he is now studying towards his PhD in Cancer Sciences. This might not make sense to some, but he explains how he applies machine learning and artificial intelligence to his PhD to inform treatment for lung cancer. In this episode, he talks about this research. He lets us know about the DARABIGDATA program that he is also involved in. We also discuss the importance of training young Africans to develop African centered apps through the Google Developers Group initiative that co-lead in Windhoek, Namibia. Lastly, he discusses the importance of digital literacy amongst ordinary people, especially as the world moves towards the fourth industrial revolution. You will hear about all this and so much more, do take a listen.
Contact details:
Twitter: @lamechthinkbig
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My guest today is Dr. Brighton Samatanga, is a molecular biophysicist originally from Zimbabwe, based in Germany. He describes his career trajectory as unorthodox and driven by the next opportunity that made him happy. Now, for those who are wondering what a molecular biophysicist is? Brighton describes his area of expertise, simply, as a physicist working on a biological area and quantifying it. He is a believer that infrastructure development will spearhead the economic development of Africa. As a result, Brighton is the Founder and CEO of The Biotech Institute (Zimbabwe). In this episode, we learn more about Brighton's journey into the world of science, his area of expertise, and the reasons he's so passionate about the institute in creating innovative, globally competitive science. Take a listen to learn much more!
Twitter:@DrSamatanga & @TheBiotechInst
LinkedIn: Dr. Brighton Samatanga
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Today my guest is Jacqueline Antwi-Danso, a third-year Ph.D. student at Texas A&M University, USA, studying astrophysics. In this episode, she tells us about her exciting research in which she studies the properties of galaxies as a function of time. This then teaches us the history of the universe. Sounds interesting, right? She also tells us about how she got into the field of astronomy, the career opportunities available in this field, her personal cures for stress to take care of her mental health, and why she is a Marvel movie fangirl. There is so much more instore do stay tuned!
Contact her:
Twitter: @jantwi_d
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My guest today is Ashley Chimahnda. He is an IT security specialist and a certified ethical hacker. He defines himself as someone who empowers the vulnerable using technology. In this episode, we learn what exactly an ethical hacker is opposed to a non-ethical hacker; he lets us know some tips and tricks to protect ourselves on line, especially in the digital age. We also find out about FundisaCode, an NGO which he works with and is very passionate about. FundisaCode works to narrow the digital divide between children in underprivileged communities and those in urban areas. Do stay tuned for more!
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Dr. Admore Jokwiro is a medical doctor from Zimbabwe. He has nearly 10 years of experience working in the public health sector. Currently, Dr. Jokwiro is the District Medical Officer for Nyanga in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe, a position in which he administers health services (preventive and curative) for the district. Recently he completed a Master’s in eHealth Management with the Rome Business School. With that, he formed the Zimbabwe Telemedicine Network, an organization that is actively pursuing the development of eHealth solutions to solve challenges within the health sector in Zimbabwe. In this episode, we learn about how his early influences led him into a career in medicine, why he believes Electronic-Health(eHealth) can be used to improve access to health care and the importance of public health informatics in decision making to improve population health especially during the period of #COVID2019.
Contact him:
Twitter - @admojj and @mycpdzw
Facebook- Admore Jokwiro and mycpdzw zimbabwe
LinkedIn: Admore Jokwiro
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Mathapelo Seopela (PhD) is a postdoctorate researcher specializing in Environmental Chemistry. South Africa has and is currently plagued by issues related to water quality and quantity attributes this, and her curiosity was what triggered the trajectory of her career into science. In this episode, we learn about how her keen interest in the poor water quality in her community led to her pursuing studies in Environmental Chemistry. We discuss the importance of science researchers and the misconception of it not being a "real job". Lastly, we get into how mental health care in the postgraduate environment and so much more!
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Amnada Obidike, my guest today, is the founder and strategy lead for STEMi Makers Africa. However, that was not always the case, eight years ago, Amanda was unemployed and demotivated. After noticing the importance of introducing STEM opportunities to underserved communities she used her skills to create a career for herself. That is how STEMi Makers Africa was birthed, now she works to give those same opportunities to young people across Africa. In this episode we chat to her about her journey, we talk about the importance of the organisation including the several projects they have across Africa. Lastly, we also discuss the event being hosted this week as part of Global Astronomy month.
Stay tuned!
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As a field applications scientist who works with magnetic levitation, Danielle Twum (PhD) combines her training as a cancer immunologist with the new skills she has learned working for a biotech startup. She acts as a liaison between the company and the customer. Her job entails explaining how the company’s technology works to potential clients who do not have the same scientific background and vocabulary. She knows how to make her physics-heavy job sound very accessible to others. In this episode, we chat about her journey into the science field, discuss the importance of acquiring transferable skills coming from academia into working in industry. She also talks about her ambassadorship as a AAAS IF/THEN Stem ambassador and so much more!
Take a listen!
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Understanding and learning about the biological and behavioral aspects of human beings and their extinct ancestors is not a field many are into to however my guest today, Kimberleigh Tommy is. Kimberleigh, is a PhD candidate at Witwatersrand University, South Africa. She is a biological anthropologist studying the evolution of bipedalism or upright walking in our species, the Homo sapiens. She is passionate about the representation of African researchers and science communication. In this episode we chat about how she got into this field, her research focus and her passions.
Give it a listen!
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Twitter, if used correctly, has created a platform for people to connect with others who have similar interests and opinions. But how crazy is that it can be a place where you can meet someone who has similar life experience AND has the same name. Well, that’s the case of my two guests today, Nathasia (Tasia) Muwanigwa and Nataša (Nata) Lazarević. Call it coincidence or serendipity. Still, the founders of Visibility STEM Africa(VSA) have a similar name, have both lived in several countries (with Botswana being a shared one), and are currently pursuing PhDs in STEM fields. Together, they saw the need for better representation of Africans in STEM fields and decided to create VSA.
In Part 1 we get to briefly know them individually, chat about how the collaboration started and how they make the initiative work despite being on different continents. Stay tuned for part two: there is an exciting announcement to be made!
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Twitter, if used correctly, has created a platform for people to connect with others who have similar interests and opinions. But how crazy is that it can be a place where you can meet someone who has similar life experience AND has the same name. Well, that’s the case of my two guests today, Nathasia (Tasia) Muwanigwa and Nataša (Nata) Lazarević. Call it coincidence or serendipity. Still, the founders of Visibility STEM Africa(VSA) have a similar name, have both lived in several countries (with Botswana being a shared one), and are currently pursuing PhDs in STEM fields. Together, they saw the need for better representation of Africans in STEM fields and decided to create VSA.
In Part 2 we continue our chat explaining what VSA aims to do, how to get involved, some of their partners and why they are working with them. Stay tuned the exciting announcement is being made!
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Science doesn't have to be conventional.
Kolisa Sinyanya, a PhD researcher in Oceanography at UCT, uses her scientific knowledge combined with her social media accounts to talk about science in a way that is more accessible . This has led her to being one of the leading science communication(scicomm) voices in South Africa. In this episode we discuss her journey into science, the importance of how being an unconventional scientist feeds into her being confident scicomm advocate.
Check it out!
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So as many people are aware that there is a rise in using drone technology for non-military purposes. Many individual entrepreneurs, small business, and large company’s are putting robotic aircraft known as drones to good use. George Madjitey, my guest today, is one of them. George is the CEO of GEM Industrial Solutions Ltd. GEM is a Ghanaian owned and operated agri-tech service provider based in Accra. In this episode we will talk about his journey from the science into business and the use of drones for agri-tech
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"We need to learn to communicate our science better.. so that science careers can be more marketable."
Ndoni Mcunu is a PhD Candidate at Witwatersrand University’s, at the Global Change Institute in South Africa. Also, she is the Founder & CEO of Black Women in Science (BWIS). This registered non-profit organization aims to deliver capacity development interventions that target young black women scientists and researchers. In this episode, she will chat with us about some of her passions: women's development, education,, and the importance of science communication in the present time. She is one of my role models, and it is a great honour to have her on the show.
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In this episode, we steer away from science for a bit.
Meet Zimbwabean born Joseph Jagada, a Masters candidate in finance currently based in South Africa.
He talks about how he got into this field of study. We learn about his research, in which he evaluates the top 40 firms (companies) in South Africa and specific indicators that affect the performance of the firm.
We also discuss how we can link the science and the commerce field.
Have a listen!
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On the 11th of February 2020, it was the International Day of Girls and Women in Science. I had an interview with the lovely Sharon Migeri. She is Zimbabwean born Agricultural Sciences PhD Candidate at the University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
Her research focuses on the use of human excreta fertilizers as an alternative for the commercial fertilizers that are currently on the market. Did you know that the pee you from one year is enough to fertilizer a whole hectare of maize??
Tune in to find out even more interesting facts about Sharon's research!
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This is an introduction about myself and what this podcasts series will be about.
Give it a listen
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