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Rashidah Kaggwa, a pharmaceutical scientist from Uganda, is a beneficiary of the cohort IV BioInnovate Africa Fellowship for Women Scientists. Driven by her passion for cell and tissue culturing of medicinal plants, she joined the fellowship to enhance her laboratory and research skills, expand her knowledge of nanotechnology, and explore opportunities in scientific innovation and collaboration. Read her full bio here.
Rashidah commenced her fellowship in January 2025. She was hosted at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), in Nairobi, Kenya, under the mentorship of Dr John Kagira. Thanks to early support from her mentor and other colleagues at JKUAT, Rashidah settled in quickly. “My first week set the tone for my fellowship,” she says. “My accommodation was already arranged, I was introduced to fellow Ugandans in the area, taken around the JKUAT campus, and assisted in getting a local phone line. This smooth transition into a new country made it much easier for me to adjust.”
In her first month, Rashidah was introduced to a dynamic research ecosystem that involved collaborating with various researchers of the BioInnovate Africa supported project on nanoencapsulated bromelain from pineapple waste to develop a drug called Bromecure for improving livestock health. She participated in laboratory-based nanoencapsulation of bromelain and goat farm trials involving Bromecure. “I was too scared to help administer Bromecure to the goats,” she admits with a laugh, “but I handled the dose calculations and it turned out to be a lot more fun than I expected!”
She also began an internship at VetCare Africa, which is a pharmaceutical manufacturing company based in Nairobi. By the end of the first month, she had performed microscopy to assess efficacy and gained experience in pharmaceutical production. “Most processes at VetCare were automated, but observing them closely gave me an appreciation for good manufacturing practices,” she says.
During her second month, Rashidah was fully immersed in her internship. She gained exposure to quality control procedures. “The hands-on experience in quality assurance and regulatory compliance was eye-opening,” she says. “It made me appreciate how much goes into making safe and effective products.”
One of her most memorable moments was visiting BioInnovate Africa at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe). “The innovation hub was inspiring, and learning about icipe’s work on honey and other products sparked ideas in me for value addition in pharmaceuticals,” she says.
In the final month, Rashidah conducted two key experiments. Her findings from the first experiment showed that water was the most efficient solvent for extracting the bromelain enzyme from pineapple peels, offering a high yield in less time and at lower cost, although there is a need for further research to verify the activity of the enzyme. The second experiment, which involved the use of chitosan extracted from black soldier fly larvae, was successful but raised concerns about sustainability due to the long extraction time, high solvent usage, toxicity, and environmental implications. As the fellowship drew to a close, Rashidah held a wrap-up meeting with her mentor to discuss publishing her findings and explore future opportunities for collaboration. She returned to her home country equipped with new technical knowledge and renewed motivation to lead projects in pharmaceutical science and medicinal plant research. “My fellowship was transformational,” she says. “It improved my lab skills, I gained knowledge on regulatory frameworks, contributed to ongoing research, and discovered the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration.”
Ms. Rashidah Kaggwa (left) and Dr Iman Brema (right), who are both beneficiaries of the cohort IV BioInnovate Africa Fellowship for Women Scientists
