Introduction
All my life, I’ve dreamed of getting out there into space.
Now, that was a challenge for me
because I went to 13 different schools
and I have a condition called dyslexia.
Today I want to talk about three fellow black scientists,
one from the past,
one from the present
and one from the future –
all pioneers in their field.
My first hero is unfortunately no longer with us –
Alan Powell Goff
his name was Alan Powell Goffe.
He was born in Kingston upon Thames in 1920.
His father was Jamaican and his mother was English.
Both his parents were physicians.
Like me, he was inspired by his parents
and gained a degree in medicine and a diploma in bacteriology.
He went on to specialise in pathology
the study of the causes and effects of disease.
In the 1950s, measles was described
as the greatest killer of children in history.
Goffe’s work on vaccines was revolutionary
in ending the measles epidemic.
A sample of the virus is taken and then weakened
usually by reproducing it many times.
This creates a living but weakened version of the original virus
which the body can fight, stimulating long-lasting immunity.
He also worked on the polio virus
and made important contributions
to the development of a vaccine for this too.
Tragically, he died young in a sailing accident
aged just 46.
Dr Goffe was a true pioneer
but few people know his name
and with the important role that vaccines are playing
in our lives today
it’s wonderful to celebrate the work of this fantastic man.
A present-day scientist who I think you should know
Asmaret Asfal Behar
is Dr Asmeret Asefaw Berhe.
She was born and grew up in Eritrea.
Sadly, when Asmeret was young,
her country was undergoing a war of independence.
Despite this turmoil,
she was one of only 1,000 students admitted to university in Eritrea
when she left school.
She studied soil science
and was fascinated by ecosystems within the soil.
Her childhood experiences led her to conduct research
into the effects of landmines on soil,
looking at how the explosions cause disruption
in the structure of the soil
and how they can leak toxic chemicals into the soil.
She also worked out that if just a quarter of the landmines
from the affected areas were removed
that this would enable the land to produce enough food
to feed 1.6 million people every year.
Another brilliant black pioneer.
Her work inspires me because in my early career
I worked on the development of a handheld landmine detector.
also trying to tackle the same problem
but from a different angle.
Katherine Payne
Now, a scientist you should look out for is Kayisha Payne.
Like me, Kayisha grew up in London
and showed an early aptitude for science and maths.
It was chemistry that most excited her.
She loved the idea of studying
the fundamental building blocks of everything.
This passion led her to undertake a degree in chemical engineering.
She was the first member of her immediate family to go to university.
Kayisha was a process engineer at AstraZeneca in Cambridge.
This is where one of the Covid-19 vaccines was developed.
Kayisha’s work focused on ensuring that drugs that were being developed
didn’t degrade by the time they were administered to patients.
Throughout her studies and her career
she was often the only black person in the room.
Passionate about having more diversity in STEM
Kayisha created the Black British Professionals In STEM.
A network for black students in the UK
to connect with their peers and receive advice and mentoring
from black British STEM professionals.
As she says: “When you don’t see yourself represented in an industry
it’s extremely difficult to believe there’s a place for you in it.”
These three black scientists didn’t only dream of a better future
but had the determination to make it a reality.
I’m truly inspired by these amazing people
and I’m excited by what the next generation will achieve.
