"People said that suddenly changing fields was either reckless or brave, but I found that my chemistry and maths background really set me up well for moving into biology."

"we could actually look and say: ‘We see a Neanderthal version of the gene and we can measure its effect on phenotype in many people—how often they get sunburned, what color their hair is, and what color their eyes are."

"It was the ground-breaking start of molecular biology, so I really felt the need to capitalise on that."

"do whatever you want to get your mind off it, talk to your friends, rage, cry a little, whatever works for you."

"I believe that curiosity, integrity and generosity are the key attributes for good scientists. You need to be addicted to asking and answering questions! In doing this, we get to discover new things, either small details or big leaps in knowledge, on a daily basis - which is incredibly wonderful."

"No, I don’t miss being in the lab. For me, the exciting part of science is working out what the question is, and how to answer it. I am very privileged - I get to ask questions, and have a wonderful team who generates data to answer them."

"It's always okay to lick your wounds a little bit."

"I’ve always seen it as being absolutely essential to combine research with activism and I believe that really solid activism can be bolstered by having a research basis."

"Because when I started, so little was known about the human genome. It was unthinkable that we could look at a person’s DNA and make a diagnosis for a disease or perform a prenatal diagnosis where we could diagnose babies in utero to see if they inherited a genetic disease from their parents. I feel that I have been so fortunate in my career to have experienced all these changes and to work in a field that has its heyday right now."

"I think the biggest tool for resilience is recognizing that we're already resilient, that we've already done the hard things."

"African scientists have to be resilient - it’s a tough career anywhere, but especially in Africa where we face many additional challenges. But it’s essential that we African scientists use our skills and determination to do good research that is relevant to our communities."

"I’ve held a belief that I will incrementally be able to try and contribute towards making the world a better place for women."

"The use of every modern tool that can improve both productivity and nutrient value. If that involves genetically modified crops, indigenous knowledge, artificial intelligence, better use of grey water – no matter – go for what works best."

"When I was a young woman starting out in science I made a conscious decision not to have children as, in those days (1970s), that was the only way for me to realize my full academic potential. I don’t want other women to have to make that decision."

"Wow! That’s fantastic – I am absolutely thrilled. I look forward to working with the new executive board and, of course, with our fabulous staff in Trieste and to engaging with as many members as I can."

"Africa needs improved seeds. As climate change dries out its soil and struggling plants become ever more susceptible to pests and disease, we need new technologies to deal with these problems."

"If you are going to get married and or have children then you must find a partner who is a true partner."

"African farmers already suffer from drought, disease, internal trade barriers, corruption and lack of property rights; refusing them the benefits of genetically modified food is a cruel and nasty trick."

"It is impossible to do everything yourself."

"I have a husband, John Menzies, who is also an astronomer and who has always been very supportive."

"I do not have children, and am immensely impressed by women who do and also manage to be successful astronomers."

"This is really cutting-edge stuff... it's very exciting, for me as a geneticist, what can be done."

"Less bureaucracy would help in almost every single way."

"As far as my career is concerned I am sure I have got where I am going."

"At SAAO there are a few women in scientific posts."

"All in senior engineering or IT posts. Of the 25 astronomers on the SAAO staff, 5 are women only one of them born in South Africa."

"Of the 5 astronomers on the Executive Committee, I am the only woman."

"The racial imbalance in the workforce remains the major problem."

"That is not to say that women occupy 50% of top posts, but there are at least some women in top posts and the profile of the workforce is gradually changing."

"The legislation that was put in place to try and remove racial discrimination."

"Is also dealing with other types of discrimination but it will take time."

"8 or 9 hours now, but I used to do 10 to 12 when I did more research."

"I have also been President of the South African Institute of Physics."

"The only woman and only astronomer to hold that position."

"I am currently Head of the Astronomy Division and I was Acting Director for about 18 months following the death of the Director."

"What is clear in South Africa is that many things were strongly biased against women prior to our first democratic election in 1994."

"Astronomy has to be your life, not just your job, or you are unlikely to do well or be happy. If you are going to get married…then you must find a partner who is a true partner, because it is impossible to do everything yourself."

"That bias has been more or less eliminated since."

"It is well worth it, but astronomy has to be your life, not just your job, or you are unlikely to do well or be happy."

"It is 33 years since I got my PhD."

"Apart from enjoying and having an aptitude for math and science at school, I decided to pursue a career in physics because there are very few female scientists in South Africa. Having a degree in physics opens the door to a variety of careers across a variety of sectors. And since only a few women pursue these careers it means more opportunities for those who do."

"My responsibilities involve implementing structured light to increase the bandwidth of optical communications systems. I design and construct optical experiments as well as develop code to automate measurement processes and analyze data."

"That may be talent development, industry research, or even developing innovative curriculum to meet emerging workforce needs"

"I also assist on the business process and program development of our prototyping facility which develops photonics prototypes well-aligned to market needs."

"In terms of what I want to do, Africa, Africa, Africa. We are a continent that’s reliant on rain for our crops: we are already a poor continent so we cannot put in a lot of irrigation."

"Our goal is to build relationships with companies so we can help meet their needs and solve their problems in ways that benefit our students, too"

"I hold two fundamental beliefs close to my heart,” she explains. “First, I’m a technology explorationist. I believe in pushing technology as far as possible because that’s how society progresses. Second, ignoring the inevitable is the worst decision we can make."