Rewriting the script in Africa

I grew up in Muwele, a small village in northern Zambia where the schools had no laboratories and we learned science solely on the blackboard. But thanks to some excellent teachers, I earned the opportunity to study and work abroad at well-endowed institutions like the University of Cambridge and the Scripps Research Institute. My appointment as a lecturer at the University of Cape Town in 1996 was a return home in more than one way. Unlike at the bustling research hubs of Cambridge and Scripps, resources at the university were scarce, and infrastructure to conduct drug discovery was limited. These challenges, while daunting, ignited a fire within me to make a difference. I found a continent brimming with untapped potential, a rich tapestry of biodiversity, and a burning desire in its research groups to tackle the health challenges plaguing our communities. Inspired, I embarked on a journey to build a