TSL celebrates new Chair for Board of Trustees
The Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich is thrilled to announce Professor Appolinaire Djikeng as the new Chair of our Board of Trustees. With his extensive experience as a Senior Director at CGIAR and the Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), we believe Prof. Djikeng will bring immense value to our institute's growth and development.
Prof. Appolinaire Djikeng recently visited our institute in Norwich and met with our Executive Director, Prof. Nick Talbot, to celebrate this new chapter.
Prof. Djikeng is a globally recognized expert in spearheading interdisciplinary and international research and development programs, particularly in the fields of bioscience, genomics, and their applications in agriculture, human health, and environmental health.
Prof. Djikeng's contributions as a TSL Trustee Director have been highly valued by our Laboratory, which is why we were so delighted when he accepted to take on the role of Chair. His expertise in genomics and its applications in sustainable agriculture align perfectly with TSL's mission to reduce crop losses through the application of our scientific discoveries.
Prof. Nick Talbot, Executive Director of The Sainsbury Laboratory, says: “We are excited and proud that Appolinaire will be the new Chair of TSL. He brings a wealth of experience and will help TSL enormously in ensuring that its discovery science is relevant to global agriculture.”
As co-founder of the African Bio-genome project (AfricaBP), Prof. Djikeng is also a passionate advocate for expanding scientific capacity and scientific leadership in Africa by harnessing genomics for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Originally from Cameroon and currently based in Kenya, Prof. Djikeng has received numerous awards, including the 2020 Nelson Mandela Justice Award. He was also included in the Decade of Health's list of 10 individuals in the United Kingdom for making significant contributions to healthcare.
Prof. Appolinaire Djikeng says: “I am looking forward to working with fellow trustees and more importantly with the remarkable leadership through Nick’s directorship and scientific staff at the TSL. I feel honoured to have this opportunity to contribute to TSL work and to its visioning into 2030 and beyond. Finally, I am looking forward to more celebrations of the outstanding scientific breakthroughs and stories coming out of the TSL and their partners."
Prof. Djikeng will be taking over from our previous Chair, Prof. Jackie Hunter, former Chief Executive Officer of the BBSRC with over thirty years of experience in the bioscience research sector, working across academia and industry. We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Prof. Hunter for her excellent guidance and commitment in helping TSL in achieving its mission.
