Country of Residence
Discipline(s)
GYA Roles
Institution
Faculty of Sciences, University of Yaounde 1
Department of Organic Chemistry
PO BOX: 812 Yaounde, Cameroon
Faculty of Sciences, University of Yaounde 1,
Research Interests
Extraction and biological evaluation of samples with a significant emphasis on malaria, bacterial infections and cancer,
Bioassay-guided isolation and characterisation of new biologically active molecules
Research and development of phytodrugs
Topics to speak on:
Natural products, Dereplication, Stuctural elucidation, Metabolomics, Biodiversity and Natural Resources, Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa
Biography
Armelle TSAMO TONTSA holds a degree in Chemistry and earned her M.Sc. (2009) and Ph.D. (2014) from the University of Yaoundé 1. Her academic journey led her to postdoctoral positions at the Georg August University of Göttingen (Germany) and Tshwane University of Technology (South Africa). Since 2020, she has been a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Organic Chemistry at the University of Yaoundé 1, Cameroon.
Armelle’s research focuses on exploring the metabolic biodiversity of Cameroonian fungi and plant species for antiparasitic drug discovery. She has made significant contributions to her field, with over 25 scholarly publications and has actively participated in national and international conferences. She is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of researchers and training and supervising students from various universities across Cameroon.
Armelle has been honoured with numerous prestigious fellowships and awards throughout her career. Notable accolades include the Canadian Commonwealth Exchange Program (2009) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) fellowship (2014) during her doctoral studies. She subsequently received the South African National Research Foundation fellowship (2016–2019), the Royal Society of Chemistry Research Grant (2021), the DAAD Research Stays for University Academics and Scientists (2022), the OPCW Fellowship Programme (2023), and the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Researcher Development Grant (2023). She was recently awarded the Schlumberger Faculty for the Future Foundation award in 2024.
Armelle is an active member of esteemed scientific organizations, including the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) and the Cameroon Professional Research-Oriented Women Network (CaPROWN). She is a young affiliate of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), a member of the Cameroon Academy of Young Scientists (CAYS), the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), and the Global Young Academy (GYA), where she co-leads the Science in Excellence working group.
Beyond her research, Armelle is a dedicated peer reviewer for internationally renowned journals, a strong advocate for STEM education for females, and a mentor to female postgraduate students. Her commitment to excellence is further exemplified by her participation in the African Science Leadership Programme (Cohort 9), the Belmont Leadership Workshop, and her certification as a scholarship mentor from Africademics.
Awards
Canadian Commonwealth Exchange Program Grant, University of Manitoba, Canada (2009)
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) doctoral fellowship, University of Göttingen, Germany (2014)
DST-NRF fellow, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa (2016_2019)
Royal Society of Chemistry-Research Fund grant, R21-2669287010 (2021)
DAAD Research Stays for University Academics and Scientists, University of Mainz, Germany (2022)
Schlumberger Faculty for the Future Foundation award (2024)
Activities
