Welcome to this month’s PhD profile where we are joined by Jenniffer, a final year Ph.D student in molecular biology and biotechnology at Pan African University, Institute for Basic Sciences Technology and Innovation based in Nairobi, Kenya!
Currently Jenniffer is writing her thesis and hopes to defend the Ph.D thesis later this year. Additionally she is working on a part time basis as a scientific consultant on plant pest control product efficacy trials in Kenya. If that wasn’t enough to keep her busy, Jenniffer also balances studying with raising her three young children. You can find Jenniffer on LinkedIn and twitter.
We hope that you find this PhD profile interesting and inspiring. Please do get in touch if you’re interested in helping to contribute a future profile to the series.
Please introduce yourself and summarise your PhD in a sentence
Hello I am Jenniffer and my Ph.D is on characterisation of the gene for aroma in some locally grown rice varieties coupled with marker assisted breeding with a focus on aroma in rice.
Rice is a staple food for more than 3 billion people across the globe. Aroma in rice plays an important role, affecting the market value and consumer preferences. However, most of the aromatic varieties grown in Kenya are low yielding and susceptible to lodging compared with the non-aromatic varieties. The project focused on characterising the aroma gene on selected locally grown varieties. This was followed by marker assisted breeding coupled with another culture, with the objective of introducing aroma in local high yielding rice varieties.
PhD Applications
What was your background prior to applying for the PhD?
Prior to starting my PhD program, I gained a Master’s degree in International Horticulture with a major in Genetics and Plant Breeding from Leibniz University in Hannover Germany. This was through the DAAD scholarship that catered for all costs including travel, stipend, medical insurance, tuition and research. My undergraduate degree was in Botany with a focus in plant biotechnology.
If anyone is interested in applying for the DAAD scholarship, one has to have at least two years’ work experience after undergraduate studies. Additionally a proposal of intended research is required which may change after you arrive at your institution. Prior communication with the desired supervisor is also an added advantage. The application process is straightforward and quite fast.
What was your experience like studying for a Master’s in Germany?
The International Horticulture program was very structured and offered in English mainly to international students. So in addition to learning the German culture, I got to interact with other students from all over the world. There was a sense of family within the student community. The program was quite structured to the detail ensuring we also got hands on experience through internship programs in the industry sector.
Being a Kenyan in Germany the challenge was to learn the language and adjust to the winters. Luckily, my program was offered purely in English but I did learn some German to make my stay rich. The first winter experience was shocking; that was the longest I had ever gone without some hot sun! The subsequent ones were easy and enjoyable. Christmas time in Germany is quite beautiful and lots of things to explore through the Christmas markets. Experiencing the world cup while in Germany is also quite memorable to me.
Why did you choose to do a PhD?
I am passionate to guide farmers in adopting high yielding better adapted varieties with a focus on sustainable agricultural practices to ensure lasting biodiversity conservation. As an undergraduate student I developed an interest in science that offers tangible solutions even for small scale farmers.
As a Masters student I gained a deep interest in research and plant breeding so it felt natural that I should progress to Ph.D to equip me as a plant breeder. I believed as a plant breeder I would offer tangible solutions for Kenyan farmers both in the field and in policy.
Additionally I wanted to finish my studies while I had flexibility when it comes to time and within the stipulated age bracket in most scholarships.
How did you decide on a project?
I always had an interest in plant breeding and with a background in molecular biology, I wanted to focus on a food crop that had relevance to food security. I was also interested in a project that would address challenges that are specific to the Kenyan farmer.
During this time I visited a friend in the rice growing region. At the time there were heavy rains that had caused extensive lodging on already mature rice which resulted in huge losses of yield. I was concerned that the farmers were planting rice varieties that were very susceptible to lodging. On further enquiry, I learnt that the farmers preferred these varieties, which were known to be susceptible to lodging because they had aroma. Aroma is a key rice grain quality among the Kenyan consumers that affects demand and thus aromatic rice command higher market prices.
Here began my research journey of first characterising the aromatic gene in selected Kenyan varieties. This was followed by use of marker assisted breeding coupled with anther culture with the aim of introducing aroma in some high yielding varieties that are resistant to lodging. I look forward to publish my work and do collaborative research in this area.
How was your experience with the Ph.D applications process?
Like every other PhD scholarship, it was an online application process that required a short proposal component of intended research. The research was to be conducted within Africa after completion of one year course study. Being the first PhD cohort, the application process had many oral interviews.
How did you arrange PhD funding?
My PhD was funded by the African Union through the Pan Africa University Institute for Basic Science Innovation and Technology. The scholarship provided both a stipend and a research grant.
What do you think made your application stand out?
Applying for a PhD in a similar field to my Master degree was helpful. Additionally, having published a paper from my Master thesis may have been an added advantage. For my PhD. Scholarship, a good understanding of the theoretical aspects were key, thus MSc. transcripts were required. The scholarship was focused on African students, so I generally fitted that criteria.
What advice do you have for people applying for a PhD?
“Explore PhD positions that will not only grow you intellectually but also socially, culturally, emotionally and in empathy.“
- Take your time and apply not just for any PhD position but for one in an area you have interest and passion. Nonetheless do not be rigid, be ready to adjust and adapt.
- Identify researchers in your area of interest and start reading their work. Write down several research areas of interest and a broad scope of the intended methodology. This will not only give you an idea of the scope of work needed but will also open up ideas of new research questions.
- Your supervisors are critical to the success of your PhD so take time and talk to other students and colleagues to know about their experiences working with the supervisors. Once ready, make contact with potential supervisors as early as you can.
Life as a PhD Student
How has your PhD experience been?
I was fortunate to have been awarded a PhD. Scholarship from the African Union under the Pan African University, Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation. So it was quite different from my MSc. experience in Germany but very rich in many ways.
Being the first PhD. cohort we experienced the joys and lows of setting out the path. I studied my MSc. in Germany where every step of the program was thought out and stipulated. My first months in the program were quite a surprise. The program gave you the grant and a freedom to work through your research of interest. In retrospect, I think this was a great opportunity having to work through all the details of project management, though it stole huge chunks of time from research.
For plant breeding research, I realized two years of active research was not enough to accomplish the intended objectives. Breeding for rice required manual crossing which is a skill that needs to be learnt and perfected over time. One should also factor the biological growth time of the intended research plant. The research also had a molecular biology and tissue culture component that required a lot of time. To navigate this, I had two assistants in the field and had to put in extra hours. Overall, I think I could have accomplished more if I had more time.
I think one of my greatest experiences was the opportunity to directly manage my research fund. That meant I had to create an overall budget distributing the money between the different objectives. I had to deal directly with different suppliers. This also opened my mind to the realisation that most ready to use molecular biology kits are quite expensive. Thus I had to read vastly and go back to more traditional protocols which were longer to execute but cheaper. Looking back I gained extensive hands on experience making many buffers, tweaking many protocols and efficiently managing funds. From this I learnt how to be resourceful, innovative and creative.
This scholarship brought together many students from all over Africa, thus it was a very rich cultural environment. We had all forms of intonations, dressing, food and culture represented. Through my colleagues I got the unique opportunity to travel through Africa.
What have been the highlights of your PhD?
Getting to meet and interact with other students from all over Africa. Sharing our cultures and of course our very diverse accents. These are friendships and collaborations I will keep for years to come.
I am proud to have been part of a scholarship program that seeks to change the narrative around African higher education by exemplifying excellence, enhancing the attractiveness, local relevance and global competitiveness of African higher education and research.
When it comes to my research, hand pollinating rice plants in the paddy fields will always remain a great highlight! I did not realize how scared I was of snails until this phase of my study. Hand pollination of rice was physically exhausting and it took me several seasons to master.
Attending scientific conferences, getting the opportunity to network and even travel was memorable!!
How have you dealt with failures during your research?
My Ph.D journey had some challenging seasons which in retrospect offered great opportunities to learn and grow. Dealing with failed experiments was the hardest in research. I did everything from crying, taking time off, sharing with other colleagues and finding solutions. I learnt the research space is very fluid and one has to be willing to continually learn, re-learn, adopt new strategies and adapt at all times. Sometimes failed experiments are positive as they always give you some form of information or give room to ask new questions, even though the intended results are not achieved.
I had to always think of innovative and cost effective ways to accomplish my objectives and work within my research budget. So that meant having to use longer protocols compared to ordering for ready to use kits.
My research taught me to be kind to myself and to appreciate even small progress. I will be forever grateful to my fellow colleagues who became such a strong support system for me.
How have you managed to balance completing a Ph.D. with raising a family?
The ideal time to study would be without a family or children. However for most women like me, this is not the case. Most scholarships are now expanding their age limit, which means we have more women with children pursuing higher education. This I believe is important in order to bridge the gender gap in STEM, more so in Africa.
Having children and still being on a very strict research schedule was quite stressful. I felt guilty for taking a maternity break to care of my new born baby. To keep up with my projected timelines I had to put in extra hours at night. Over time, I realized little sleep was also not healthy for my wellbeing and was affecting my productivity. So I worked very hard on weekdays and took a full break on weekends to focus on my children, family and friends. With this strategy, I was more productive on weekdays and caring for my mental health.
Having a strong support system at home and from my supervisors was quite helpful. Communication is key, both to your supervisors and family on what you can or cannot do in each season. I learnt to adapt quickly to changes in schedule.
Overall, I learnt that caring for my mental health was paramount to my being efficient both at work and home. When I felt overwhelmed, I would take a break and spend some time walking or dance to some loud music. Laughter is medicine, find a reason to smile and laugh even in the mess and stress.
Do you have any advice or tips you’d like to share with current or prospective PhD students?
While achieving a PhD is a great career milestone, do not put your life on hold. Set time for your hobbies and take time to be with family and friends.
Relationships are critical for a successful and rich research experience. Take time to build meaningful relationships and networks along your research. Speak out, sometimes your supervisors and other colleagues will offer insightful ideas.
Take time to talk to other colleagues and students in the work group of interest about your potential supervisors. This will give you a holistic idea about his/her work ethic, leadership skills, interactions within the group and any other expectations.
PhD Completion and Beyond
What would you like to do after finishing your Ph.D?
As a plant scientist, I am passionate about research and innovations that offer sustainable tangible solutions to increase productivity and boost markets to the small scale farmers with a particular interest on the livelihood of women.
I have great interest in plant breeding. I aspire to use my expertise to guide farmers to adopt better varieties, increase yield and to foster environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable agriculture.
In the recent past I have also gained great interest in pesticide efficacy trials for which I offer consultancy services.
Has your Ph.D experience helped in your current consultancy role?
My Ph.D has helped in my current role as a consultant in plant pest control efficacy trials. Through
my Ph.D I gained hands on experience on organising on field experiments, setting out plot design,
conducting various agronomic practices, on field data collection and record keeping, statistical
analysis and generating reports. I can now manage a big project and work through it in small
sections, allocating resources and time for each step.
In hindsight would you choose to do a PhD again?
Yes, I would definitely do a Ph.D again, probably I would choose an easier plant! Every time I sit down to enjoy a plate of rice, I am silently grateful for all the hardworking rice breeders all over the world.
Being a mother of 3 young kids and having to still keep up with my Ph.D schedule was definitely a hard thing. I did consider quitting a couple of times along the way. I am proud that I made it to almost the finish line. My kids gave me the inspiration and I do hope I pass to them a legacy of endurance. My experience has also given me a great interest on women in science and more so mentoring young girls with an interest in STEM.
I am proud to have been a recipient of the African Union grant through the Pan African University. I feel deeply about changing the narrative surrounding African issues and being part of solutions and development for Africa. Through this scholarship, I gained a deep pride in being African.
We hope that you have enjoyed reading about Jenniffer’s PhD experiences! You can read all PhD Profiles here. A reminder that you can find Jennie on LinkedIn and twitter.
If you’d like to subscribe to get notified of future posts please click here:
