Knowing that I am making a difference in people’s lives and that our research is solving problems and providing critical solutions to the agricultural and food industries is so rewarding.

For 60-year-old agricultural scientist Lise Korsten, the way pathogens move in and through our food is extremely fascinating. Korsten — whose research at the University of Pretoria involves monitoring food sources, among other things — is an expert in plant pathology and the ways in which food health is affected.

One such case that Korsten worked on was with the recent listeriosis outbreak. “We were able to monitor various food sources in the formal and informal sector to assess the prevalence of foodborne pathogens. You learn to think like a pathogen and incorporate that knowledge in a community context; that is the only way to solve the problem,” she says.

Korsten matriculated from Floridase Hoërskool and is a Stellenbosch University and University of Pretoria alumni. She has decades of experience in plant pathology and maximising the outputs of South Africa’s agricultural industry. Through her research, she facilitates the country becoming more self-sustainable and a major exporter of fresh produce. She’s passionate about food health and loves how her job is a mixture of critical analysis, thinking and providing practical food solutions for South Africans.

“Food is the very essence of life and we all need food to survive, grow and have a happy, well-balanced, healthy life. It provides the nourishment for our body and soul, and not having access to food is taking away a very basic human right," she says.
Her most recent non-academic “award” is her grandson, Luan.

In the academic context she’s been recognised for her work by the University of Pretoria, which gave her the technology transfer office award, and by the water research commission, which awarded her the human capital development in the water science sector award.
“Choosing plant pathology as a field of study was the best decision I ever made in my life. My career is an ongoing journey of plant health, food safety and knowing that we are contributing towards putting food on the plates of people,” says Korsten.
— Youlendree Appasamy