Prof Yaye Kene Gassama is a Senegalese national and Professor in plant biotechnology at Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Senegal. She is a well-known scientist and has held high ranking positions in academia, governance and policymaking and is a notable and celebrated for many firsts, including her study on the utilisation of the Neem tree in the treatment and prevention of malaria. She was Senegal’s Minister of Scientific Research in 2005 and chaired African Union’s high-level panel on emerging technologies in 2017. As a member of the Advisory Board of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) and Female Education in Mathematics and Science in Africa (FEMSA), she not only promotes the education of girls in science and mathematics, but mentors young girls and encourages them to become more involved in science.