NRF Women's Month 2026: Dr Mariam Oyedeji Amusa

Every research journey starts with a question. This Women’s Month, the NRF celebrates women driven by curiosity — researchers whose questions, ideas and determination are expanding our understanding of the world around us. From exploring the unknown to deepening our existing knowledge, curiosity remains at the heart of discovery. We thank all participants for sharing their stories with us.

Dr Mariam Oyedeji Amusa is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Johannesburg, and also a contracted Senior Lecturer at Kampala International University in Uganda. She received support from the NRF for her Doctoral and Postdoctoral studies. Her work is about turning African scientific knowledge, local crops and medicinal plant resources into real solutions that can improve nutrition, promote health and empower communities.

How has your affiliation with the NRF impacted your studies/career?

My relationship with the National Research Foundation has been highly significant and career-shaping. I received NRF funding as a doctoral student (2017 to 2019), which supported my PhD research in Botany and Plant Biotechnology at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). This funding enabled me to conduct research on plant-based bioactive compounds, antimicrobial resistance, phytochemical profiling and metabolomics, while developing the technical and scientific foundation that continues to guide my work today.

I also received NRF postdoctoral funding from 2022 to 2024, which supported my postdoctoral research at UJ. This opportunity allowed me to deepen my expertise in metabolomics, natural product drug discovery, phytochemistry and interdisciplinary research. It also enabled me to contribute to peer-reviewed publications, collaborate with multidisciplinary research teams, mentor emerging researchers and strengthen my academic leadership. During this period, I also served in a leadership role within the postdoctoral research community, which enhanced my capacity for representation, coordination and scientific engagement.

The impact of NRF support on my career has been profound. It provided financial stability, research continuity and academic credibility at critical stages of my development as an African woman scientist. The NRF support helped me complete advanced research training, build a strong publication record, expand my research networks and transition confidently into academic leadership. It also strengthened my ability to translate science into practical solutions addressing African challenges, including malnutrition, public health and nutrition security.

Today, as Senior Lecturer and Innovation Lead at Kampala International University, Uganda, I continue to build on the foundation made possible by NRF support. My current work includes teaching, postgraduate supervision, research capacity building and leadership of IMAFAM, a multigrain-vegetable porridge innovation addressing child malnutrition through affordable, nutrient-dense and locally sourced ingredients. In this way, the NRF’s investment in my doctoral and postdoctoral development has had a lasting impact, not only on my individual career, but also on my contribution to research, innovation, mentorship and food-based solutions for communities in Africa.

What is your research focus or area of expertise?

My current research and innovation work focuses on using Africa’s natural resources, especially plants and locally available foods, to improve health, nutrition and livelihoods. In simple terms, I study how plants and food crops can be used safely and scientifically as sources of medicine, functional foods and practical nutrition solutions for communities.

One part of my work focuses on natural products as medicine. Many African communities have long used medicinal plants for treating infections and other health conditions. My research helps to investigate these plants scientifically by studying their bioactive compounds, antimicrobial potential and possible health benefits. This is important because it helps bridge traditional knowledge with modern science, ensuring that useful plant-based remedies are better understood, validated and developed responsibly.

Another major part of my current work focuses on food as a solution to malnutrition. Through the registered IMAFAM Food Solution, I lead the development of affordable, nutrient-dense food products made from locally available grains, legumes and vegetables. The main innovation is a multigrain-vegetable porridge designed to support child nutrition using ingredients such as maize, sorghum, millet, soybean, sweet potato, carrot and pumpkin. The aim is to provide families with a locally sourced, culturally acceptable and nutritious food option that can help improve complementary feeding and reduce child malnutrition.

IMAFAM Food Solution is built on the idea that African food science should not only remain in laboratories or publications, but should reach households, schools, mothers, caregivers and vulnerable children. By transforming familiar local crops into improved food products, the work supports nutrition security while also creating opportunities for farmers, women, young entrepreneurs and local food processors.

This work is strongly connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It contributes to SDG 2: Zero Hunger by addressing child malnutrition and promoting better use of local crops for nutritious foods. It supports SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being by improving nutrition and exploring plant-based health solutions. It contributes to SDG 4: Quality Education through my teaching, student supervision and training of young researchers in food science, innovation and evidence-based research. It also supports SDG 5: Gender Equality by showing the leadership role of African women scientists in developing practical community solutions. Through product development and innovation, it aligns with SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, while the use of local crops and sustainable processing connects with SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. The focus on resilient local food systems also contributes to SDG 13: Climate Action, and my collaborations with universities, communities and research partners align with SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Overall, my work is about turning African scientific knowledge, local crops and medicinal plant resources into real solutions that can improve nutrition, promote health and empower communities.

What sparked your curiosity about your field of research, and what continues to keep you curious?

My curiosity was first sparked by the way African communities have always used plants and local foods for healing, nourishment and survival. Growing up, I saw that many plants around us were more than just part of the environment; they were used as medicine, food, spices and household remedies. This made me wonder: What exactly is inside these plants? Why do some of them work? How can science help us understand them better, make them safer and turn them into solutions that can improve lives?

That curiosity led me into plant science, pharmacognosy, natural products research and later food-based innovation. I became interested in how plants produce bioactive compounds that may help fight infections, support health and provide nutritional benefits. Over time, my curiosity expanded from studying plants as medicine to also exploring food as a powerful tool for improving health, especially among vulnerable children and families.

What continues to keep me curious is the fact that Africa still has so many underexplored natural resources and unanswered scientific questions. Every plant, grain, vegetable or traditional food system may hold useful knowledge that can support better health, nutrition security and livelihoods. Through my work on natural products and the registered IMAFAM Food Solution, I remain curious about how local crops such as maize, sorghum, millet, soybean, sweet potato, carrot and pumpkin can be transformed into affordable, nutrient-dense foods that help address child malnutrition.

I am also kept curious by impact. I want to know how research can move beyond the laboratory and reach mothers, caregivers, children, farmers and communities. The possibility that a scientific idea can become a food product, a health solution, a student project, a community intervention or a source of livelihood continues to inspire me. For me, curiosity is not only about discovering new knowledge, but also about asking how that knowledge can be used to solve real African challenges.

What is one thing you wish more people understood about your field of research?

One thing I wish more people understood about my field is that natural products and food science are not “old-fashioned” or separate from modern science. The plants, grains, vegetables and traditional foods around us contain powerful scientific possibilities, but they need to be studied carefully, validated properly and developed responsibly.

In Africa, many communities already rely on plants for medicine and local foods for daily nutrition, yet these resources are often undervalued. My work shows that with the right research, local natural resources can become evidence-based medicines, functional foods and affordable nutrition solutions.

I also wish people understood that food is not only something we eat to stop hunger, but it can also be a tool for health, prevention and development. Through IMAFAM Food Solution, I am working to show that locally available crops can be transformed into nutrient-dense products that support child nutrition and help address malnutrition.

For me, the field is about connecting science with everyday life, taking knowledge from the laboratory and using it to improve the health, dignity and future of communities.

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