The making of a world-class analytical chemistry researcher

South African analytical chemistry researcher Professor Priscilla Baker is one of five recipients of the 2025 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards – a fitting homage to a woman who has broken through the glass ceiling in science and higher education.

Chosen as the winner for the Africa and the Arab states region, Baker received her award, which came with €100,000 (about US$116,000) for each winner, earlier in June in Paris, France.

The award was in recognition of her contributions in the field of highly sensitive electrochemical microsensors that are used for detecting contaminants in the environment and can be applied in the pharmaceuticals, food, health and energy sectors.

Examples of her current research endeavours include the development of electrochemical sensors that are used as early-warning tools for pre-emptive treatment of myocardial infarction, a medical emergency in which the heart muscle begins to die because it is not getting enough blood flow. Baker’s work has also given the world molecular entrapment systems to fight dopamine addiction.

University World News interviewed Baker online about her career, that included her becoming the first woman of colour to graduate with a BSc in physical oceanography from the University of Cape Town in 1990 but could not pursue honours in the field as the practical component of oceanography required long periods at sea that she could not endure because of systemic discrimination, among others, from boat crews.

Baker then shifted her academic focus to analytical chemistry. She first obtained a BSc honours degree and an MSc in chemistry from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and, later on, a PhD in chemistry from Stellenbosch University.

UWN: Can you recall a moment or moments during your schooling or childhood that set you on the path to becoming a scientist?

PB: We were exposed to science in the news while growing up. If you remember, in the 1960s and 1970s the first man [Neil Armstrong] walked on the moon, and Professor Christiaan [Chris] Barnard from South Africa did the world’s first human-to-human heart transplant.

So, there was a lot of science in the media around us and that shaped us to say: ‘This is something we can pursue,’ and encouraged us to get the right skill set to do so. So, my influences really came from the media – and also from the example my parents set.

UWN: What role did your parents play in your educational journey?

PB: They instilled the understanding of effort and hard work into us from an early age.

My dad was a sheet metal engineer who was brilliant at his craft, but denied recognition due to the apartheid policies of our time.

My mom completed her junior certificate at high school and became a qualified nurse. I can only ever remember both my parents working equally hard at providing a stable and loving home environment, as well as sufficient income to support our family and dependent relatives.

They had to form a community of family for us and therein was their dedication: the singleness of the pursuit of making sure that the family unit was intact, the family unit was cared for and that the family unit was valued.

So, it was that kind of commitment from generations before us that we benefited from and that really instilled in us a sense of the value of education and commitment.

UWN: Do you have role models in science?

PB: During the early days of my university career, I worked with my first female and white mentor, Professor Yasmin von Schirnding.

She treated me with respect, encouraged intellectual participation in her research, praised my work ethic and gave me numerous opportunities to lead, contribute and even engage with stakeholders.

My academic mentor and promoter for my masters and PhD studies was Professor Andrew Crouch, currently the vice-chancellor at one of South Africa’s emerging universities, Sol Plaatje University, Northern Cape.

In addition to being an excellent academic and an accomplished sportsman, he was also a family man and a diplomat par excellence. He taught me to be systematic and strategic in achieving my goals, consistent in my work ethic, confident in my abilities and honest enough to admit what I didn’t know.

At postdoctoral level, UWC Physical Chemistry Professor Emmanuel Iwuoha, the South African Research Chair Initiative Chair for NanoElectrochemistry and Sensor Technology was the first mentor to recognise me as an academic equal and encourage partnership.

We established the teaching and training laboratories which we call SensorLab research group, as our joint investment in equipment and infrastructure; with Professor Iwuoha as director and myself as co-director in 2004, shortly after my appointment as a staff member here at UWC. I recall my delight and scepticism in the early days of our partnership.

Professor Iwuoha was already much loved and respected by all his colleagues and I resisted being drawn into his shadow.

As a young researcher, I had a pressing need to establish my own identity and he was able to comprehend that and navigate our partnership for immediate and long-term success.

To be great in the shadow of greatness is no mean feat and I credit this great man of science, Professor Iwuoha, for his patience, wisdom, gentleness and commitment to academic excellence, in guiding and shaping my career.

UWN: Please tell us about your career milestones or highlights.

PB: In 2018, I was awarded the South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Analytical Systems and Processes for Priority and Emerging Contaminants.

The South African Research Chairs Initiative was established by the Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation with the aim of attracting and retaining excellence in research and innovation at South African public universities through the establishment of research chairs.

I served in the international electrochemistry community as deputy chairperson of Electroanalytical Chemistry Division of the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE) in Switzerland from 2013 to 2016, and as an ISE regional representative for South Africa and Africa, from 2016-21.

UWN: Kindly tell us about your research.

PB: In my research, we use our knowledge and skills of chemistry and nanomaterials to design tailor-made solutions for the challenges of our time.

We break down the big challenges of systems and processes that pose a threat to our health and well-being into manageable chunks in line with the knowledge, skills and technology of our time.

My expertise in nanomaterials and my understanding of complex analytical systems really comes into its own when I design and conceptualise real-time monitoring devices for non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

In my new lab, we have the equipment and skills to print electrodes directly onto T-shirts, caps and wristbands, allowing the measurement of molecules directly from the skin or sweat.

This really brings the point home for personalised healthcare in a trendy fashion that is easily incorporated into everyday life.

UWN: How will this award help you and what does it mean to you?

PB: The award signifies an indisputable standard of achievement. The adjudication process and number of applicants (466) speaks to the excellence of the winning candidates. Personally, the award is a public endorsement of the values and discipline that I wish to pass on to the next generation of scientists.

As women, most of our hard work and struggles happen as a natural part of our growth and behind the scenes, but this global recognition speaks to the sacrifices and commitment that have gone into a successful career.

UWN: What obstacles have you faced during your career as a researcher?

PB: Obstacles for me, personally, were in relation to attracting funding, attracting students who were not sufficiently supported so that, when they experienced challenges, we could support them.

I have to explain a little bit. We cannot do research without students, we cannot build a future based on science if we don’t have professionals who are adequately trained. We are not going to do research and think critically.

So, when we lose students because they had to go and take care of family or because they did not have a renewal of their bursary because they were not deemed good enough by the accounting systems that then places a big challenge on our deliverables.

We cannot deliver without students. So, funding and continuation of funding and the evaluation of progress in terms of funding is a big thing.

UWN: How can we get more women into your field?

PB: Electrochemistry is one of those beautiful disciplines that doesn’t require a lot of physical strength. What we do require are students who are committed to exploring a particular topic with energy and with critical analysis. It’s really a discipline that is open to women and men equally.

We have young female professors in electrochemistry at many of the major universities in South Africa, for example at the University of Johannesburg, the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of South Africa (UNISA) and more. We have seen the transformation in the space of electrochemistry in South Africa.

In 2006-7 we really reignited electrochemistry, or ElectrochemSA, a division of the South African Chemical Institute in South Africa. I was the chairperson of this division for almost 10 years and it took a while to grow and unite the electrochemistry community in South Africa through hosting symposiums, conferences and opening discussions on electronic chemistry.

At the same time, I have also served as the Africa representative of the International Society of Electrochemistry and, through these organisations, I have seen the number of women in this space increase enormously.