I am from Attridgeville, a township west of Pretoria in South Africa. My cousins and I were all raised by my grandparents while our parents worked. I have very fond memories of the joys that come from growing up in a large family and the mischief we all got up to.
I studied towards a Bachelors and Master’s degree in Chemistry at the Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa. I have a PhD in Pharmaceuticals Sciences and a PhD in Chemical Sciences from the University of Angers in France and the University of Liege in Belgium respectively.
I am a Senior Researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research working on the development of delivery systems for drugs burdened with non-compliance, absorption and toxicity issues, majorly for infectious diseases.
The need to find simple and innovative ways to solve African problems. I felt like there was a time where we used a ‘one size fits all approach’ to solving our problems based on what we saw working for the rest of the world, without looking at what solutions would suit the environment we live in.
Representation and Access. It has been challenging for me to identify experienced researchers in my field who can relate with my background and struggles and assist me in shaping my career. African researchers who came before us are still fighting for access themselves.
My grandmother raised me to be confident and my upbringing was centered to around building my self -esteem. This has helped me to reach out for any opportunity without doubting myself.
We can start with creating more visibility around African researchers and promoting research collaborations among Africans in STEM.
Absolutely anything is possible. All of the inventions in modern technology were created by someone and YOU could be the next someone.
Do you identify as an African in STEM? If so, please send us some basic information to see if we can profile you on the VSA page.
Hello World
I think it’s about time you heard my story.