Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge and JR Biotek Foundation
Carol N. Ibe is the Founding President of JR Biotek Foundation, a United States charitable organisation established to advance knowledge and technical skills in applied biosciences and STEM in Africa. Carol graduated with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Nigeria (2003) and a master’s degree in molecular biology and biochemistry from Georgetown University, Washington, DC (2006). Carol holds a second master’s degree in clinical embryology from the University of Oxford (2009) and she is currently doing a PhD in Plant Sciences at Cambridge University under the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
Carol’s PhD research aims to investigate accommodation mechanisms for both beneficial and detrimental fungi in rice roots and how these interactions may be enhanced for practical agricultural applications, particularly in Africa. Carol currently combines her research with efforts created by her non-profit to educate, train and empower a new generation of scientists who are capable of improving agricultural productivity, human health, industrial development, sustained economic growth and environmental sustainability in Africa. She is determined to make a difference in Africa’s development through her present commitment to strengthen national, regional and international collaborations aimed at improving lives and systems in Africa.