While completing her master’s degree in South Africa, Anne Chisa discovered that she was surrounded by brilliant researchers. But few people had heard of them. So, she created a podcast to change that.
Anne Chisa has a knack for growing big things from small beginnings. For her PhD at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, Chisa is investigating which varieties of quinoa – a highly nutritious crop from South America – flourish best in African soil. Her efforts could be a boon for addressing food insecurity and improving the livelihoods of small-scale farmers.
“They’re these tiny, tiny little seeds,” says Chisa. “When you put them in the ground and there’s this beautiful crop that comes out … you recognise that this is actually really amazing.”
Quinoa isn’t the only thing Chisa is cultivating. In 2020, she launched The Root of the Science, a podcast series that showcases African researchers in STEM. Every fortnight, Chisa sits down with her guests to explore what they’re working on, what makes them tick, and how they have overcome the challenges that come with carving out a career in science. The research discussed is as diverse as the guests, ranging from biological anthropology and plant pathology to cancer science and chemical engineering. The only rule behind The Root of the Science is to unmask the people behind the research, says Chisa.
“We are human … I wanted to show that and shift the narrative of what science looks like,” she says.
Connecting the dots
Chisa’s idea to create a podcast was sparked while she was waiting for another seed to sprout: the outcome of master’s degree in agronomy and crop science. After submitting her thesis, Chisa found herself at a loose end. So, she killed time chatting with her colleagues about the projects they were working on.
One of those colleagues was Sharon Migeri, a PhD candidate investigating how human urine could be used as an alternative to commercial crop fertilisers. Their conversation made Chisa realise that she wanted to share African research with the world. “I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, this is so exciting,” says Chisa.
Initially, Chisa thought writing was going to be her science communication medium of choice. But after spending months tackling a long thesis, the thought of putting words on the page felt overwhelming. Chisa also wanted to find a way to reach people who would probably never read or be able to access scientific papers, such as the farmers she was working with. “I thought there was this big disconnect,” she says.
The way forward was to hit the record button. In February 2020 on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Chisa sat down with Migeri and recorded a 15-minute conversation about how she got into science, the goals of her research, and what drives her forward. That conversation became the first episode of The Root of the Science.
I had no idea what a podcast was,” says Chisa. “I didn’t even know I was doing science communication.”
The people behind the science
Fast forward two and a half years, and Chisa has interviewed more than 110 African scientists around the world and her episodes have been downloaded roughly 14,000 times. In September 2022, The Root of the Science picked up an African Podcast and Voice Award in the Science, Technology and Innovation category.
Creating a platform for African scientists to share their research with a wide audience is rewarding in its own right, but connecting with people who have experienced similar struggles while building their careers has helped Chisa view her own challenges in a new light. “I might personally be having a really hard day,” she says. “Then I chat to somebody … and whatever they say kind of resonates to something that I’ve been going through as well.”
One episode recorded in June 2020 is a case in point. When Malawi-born PhD student Tapoka Mkandawire sat down with Chisa to talk about the parasitology and molecular biology research she was doing at The University of Cambridge in the UK, the conversation took a surprising turn. Towards the end of the episode, Mkandawire shared a spoken word piece about the struggles she experienced as a postgraduate student and how she pulled herself out of the darkness.
“I know this now: I’m more than a scientist,” Mkandawire told Chisa on The Root of the Science. “My main purpose is in fact what it says on the tin: human being. To be here, to be happy and fulfilled, to be the best human I can be.” That conversation illustrated the power of audio-based storytelling and how it can convey raw emotion and authenticity, something that the written word doesn’t always capture, says Chisa. “It was so powerful and emotional,” she says. “I literally cried because so many of us can relate to it.”
Those who are already well on their way along the science road aren’t the only people featured on The Root of the Science. In 2021, Chisa recorded a series called #YouAreAScientist to give undergraduate students a stronger voice in the broader STEM conversation. The goal was to shine a light on scientists at all career stages and demonstrate that there’s more to research than fancy titles and advanced degrees.
“I wanted to emphasise that being a scientist is not about your level,” she says. “Being a scientist is about having a sense of curiosity, trying to solve a problem.”
Start where you are
Chisa’s own path into science has had its twists and turns. Born in Malawi, Chisa moved to South Africa with her family when she was six years old. Growing up, Chisa’s dream was to become a lawyer like the characters in her favourite TV show, Boston Legal. While she didn’t realise it at the time, the seeds of her future career in science were being sown a little closer to home: her mother’s vegetable patch. “She always forced me to help her in the garden!” says Chisa. By the time she was in high school, Chisa had a growing interest in biology and geography, but she didn’t consider studying agriculture until a family friend pointed out how it could make a difference to people in Africa. “It was a matter of things happening very much in isolation and then later on became one big thing,” she says.
Much like taking care of a garden each day, Chisa says consistency has been key to her success as a podcaster. That means editing audio and uploading episodes on schedule, even on days when it’s the last thing she feels like doing or it seems like nobody is listening. Chisa also advises budding podcasters to stop obsessing over having the right equipment and just get started. To get up to speed, Chisa joined podcasting groups on Facebook and relied on YouTube tutorials to learn the basics of editing audio clips. “Start where you are, even just with your phone,” she says. “There are some really great tools now where you don’t even need a computer.”
Chisa’s ultimate dream is to help make African scientists more visible on the world stage and smash the old white male in a lab coat stereotype. And just like sowing quinoa seeds, Chisa also hopes her podcast will help plant seeds in the minds of tomorrow’s scientists.
Showcasing that diversity should amplify visible role models for people going into these spaces,” says Chisa. “It’s very hard to aspire to something if you don’t know it exists.”
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Story by Gemma Conroy
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