Margareth is a research officer and the head of tissue culture laboratory at Tanzania Agriculture Research Institute (TARI) – Mikocheni, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Her research focuses on molecular epidemiology of plant viruses affecting cassava and sweetpotatoes that contributed to the development of diagnostic tools for cassava, sweetpotato and common bean viruses, leading to the commercial production and multiplication of virus free planting materials for cassava and sweetpotatoes through tissue culture techniques. She is also a representative of TARI – Mikocheni workers council.

With her skills in tissue culture, she is passionate about optimizing tissue culture protocols for different crops like sisal, pineapple, macadamia nuts, banana, cassava, potatoes using locally available materials to provide seedlings to farmers at affordable price. Additionally, she has basic knowledge of bioinformatics and supports various projects and university students in bioinformatics analyses.

Margareth holds a master of science degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, and bachelor of science degree in Biotechnology and laboratory Sciences from Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA).

Pauline is a researcher at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), specialising in environmental conservation. She has over six years of experience in climate change research, working on projects that address the on-farm tree species, carbon stocks, and soil properties as influenced by selected Eucalyptus species in Kakamega-Nandi Forest Ecosystem. Her work has been published in a prestigious journal; Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, and she received financial support from the GEF-UNEP-AGRA-KARLO-MMUST studentship of 2018.

Though her fellowship at BioInnovate Africa, Pauline aims to further her research on sustainable solutions for management of waste materials.

She  holds a master’s degree in Natural Resource Management from MMUST.

Aneth is an academic and research scientist in the field of biotechnology. She is currently a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Her expertise is on utilizing biotechnological tools for sustainable development in agriculture and health. She teaches and conducts research on microbiomes, antimicrobial resistance and microbial biotechnology.

Aneth is also a science communicator and advocate who envisions science taking a more prominent role in not only the daily lives in our community, but also in policy development and decision making. Her passion for science communication and advocacy has seen her engage in various initiatives to advance science and technology in Tanzania and Africa. She co-founded Tanzania Human Genetics Organization (THGO), an initiative that aims at expanding human research and application in Tanzania, the Open Science Community of Tanzania and Africa and the Biotechnology Society of Tanzania (BST). She serves in various boards including the THGO board of directors and the advisory board for the Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB).  She has served in several international positions that aim at promotion of science including as an eLife ambassador, a country lead for Women in Tech Africa (WiTA) and an ASAPbio fellow.

Aneth has been recognised for her role in science advocacy through various awards including the Next Einstein Forum (NEF) ambassador prize (2015), Malkia wa Nguvu nomination (2018), Tanzanian sheroes (2018) and NEF women in STEM careers award (2022).

She holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).

Judith is a researcher with a keen interest in the biocontrol of coffee pests, particularly the Black Coffee Twig Borer (BCTB). She serves as a principal investigator at the National Coffee Research Institute (NaCORI) under the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), Uganda. Her current project focuses on enhancing the resilience of Robusta coffee systems to climate variability, particularly on how climate smart agriculture influences BCTB.

Judith is also pursuing her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at Kyambogo University, Uganda. Her doctoral research examines the effect of soil moisture conservation practices on water budgeting in Robusta coffee. She holds a master of science degree in Agroecology from Uganda Martyrs University, Uganda, and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Kyambogo University, Uganda.

Iman is an assistant professor in the department of medical entomology at the faculty of public and environmental health, University of Kordofan, Sudan. She also serves as the head of the medical entomology department and has been involved in developing the higher diploma and Master of Science curricula at the same faculty and institution.

She has supervised 12 graduate students and has published five articles in peer-reviewed journals, as well as one book chapter. Her research focuses on developing new eco-friendly tools for monitoring and controlling disease vectors (sandflies and mosquito populations), as well as investigating the chemical signals that drive their behaviour in their surrounding environment.

Iman holds a Ph.D. in Entomology (Insect Behavioral and Chemical Ecology) from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, a Master of Science in Medical Entomology and Vector Control from the University of Gezira, Sudan, and a bachelor’s degree in Public and Environmental Health from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Kordofan, Sudan.

Rashidah Kaggwa is a researcher and section manager production at Jena Herbals Uganda Limited. She is passionate about research and development in herbal medicine, with a focus on biotechnology, women’s health, and nutrition. Currently, she is conducting research on preventive methods for urinary tract infections in women using herbal medicines and nutrition.

Rashidah is also a part-time lecturer at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda,  in the department of pharmaceutical sciences, where she mentors and guides new researchers and scientists.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Science, and a master’s degree in Pharmacognosy and Natural Medicine Science from Mbarara University of Science and Technology.