Jennifer Thomson

Jennifer Thomson is Emeritus Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Cape Town. Her main current research interests are in the development of maize resistant to the African endemic maize streak virus and tolerant to drought. Jennifer helped draft South Africa’s National Biotechnology Strategy and was appointed by the Minister of Science and Technology to the National Advisory Council on Innovation. She is the co-founder of SA WISE (SA Women in Science and Engineering). Jennifer is on the board of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation, is a regular writer, and sought-after speaker internationally on the subject of genetically modified organisms, including at the World Economic Forum.