Karen Cloete

Biography

Dr Karen Cloete is a past South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS) Co-Chair and Young Scientist Community alumnus of the World Economic Forum. She is a senior researcher affiliated to the UNESCO-University of South Afrca Chair in Nanosciences-Nanotechnology, Nanosciences African Network-iThemba LABS-National Research Foundation, and Nanoenergy for Sustainable Development in Africa. Her research focuses on chemical fingerprinting of biological material with ion beam and synchrotron radiation technologies for application in diverse fields. Currently, she is working in the field of nanosciences and nanotechnology. She has developed, convened, and lectured courses in microbiology, the biological applications of ion beam analysis, as well as academic writing and publishing as a lecturer and international visiting assist. professor and has also presented workshops on scientific topics. She has mentored and co-supervised national and international fellows from interdisciplinary fields on successfully approaching, publishing, and communicating a research project. She has been the recipient of various scholarships, grants, and awards, published interdisciplinary research papers, and her work has been highlighted in popular media and at international academic and non-academic conferences. She has contributed to the formulation of statements on topical issues in science and has also served on various committees. She is currently a senior researcher, ICTP-TRIL fellow, and TWAS-UNESCO research associate who strongly believes in the power of science to transform society.

Awards