Fiona Nelima Mumoki
Career Development Subcommittee
Social Insects Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Research Interest

My research is focused on understanding the factors that influence pollinator health and ecology, due to the role that pollinators play in improving food security and the livelihoods of smallholder beekeepers on the African continent. Insect pollination is essential for about 71% of the global food crops, and of the insect pollinators, social insects, such as honey bees and stingless bees, are among the most important generalist pollinators. However, social insect colonies have come under threat due to various biotic and abiotic factors. As a master’s student in Kenya, I worked with a team carrying out the very first survey of the diseases and pests of honey bee colonies in Kenya and later trying to assess the effect that different ecological and management practices have on the health and growth of honey bee colonies in Kenya.

Later, as a PhD student and now as a postdoctoral fellow in South Africa, I examine the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of reproductive dominance in a particular lineage of the Cape honey bee, Apis mellifera capensis. A lineage of workers of the Cape honey bee developed into facultative reproductive parasites, capable of infesting susceptible host colonies and taking over the role of reproduction from the queen, eventually leading to the collapse of the colony. Commercial beekeepers in South Africa lose about 41% of their colonies annually due to this “capensis problem.” I focus on understanding how parasitism develops and can be regulated. I hope that this work will eventually contribute to the development of practical solutions for beekeepers in South Africa to use in regulating the spread of the reproductive parasite, thereby reducing colony loss.

As a PhD-trained scientist, you have many career options. What interests you the most?

I have always been curious! Ever since childhood, I have been curious about nature, wanting to know things, many times simply for the sake of knowledge. In my high school and undergraduate programs, I realized that I wanted to study biology and chemistry. Not only did I love these subjects, but I also excelled in them. My research on bees fulfills my general love for learning with an ability to use this knowledge to improve the food security and livelihoods of many people in Africa. For instance, in my quest to understand how reproductive parasitism develops in the Cape honey bee, I get to feed my curiosity on basic questions, such as how social insects communicate and what happens when this communication is disrupted.

I am also very interested in the policy aspects impacting food security in Africa. In the 2023 report, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations estimated that about 283.1 million people in sub-Saharan Africa were undernourished. Some of the drivers of food insecurity within the continent are conflict and political instability, poor prediction and planning, mismanagement of resources, climatic extremes, and economic factors—e.g., high cost of farming and low prices of farm output—making crop farming unprofitable.

While perhaps not much can be done to change the climate variability and extremes affecting food production within the continent, we can improve our preparedness for extreme weather conditions, transform our agricultural practices to sustainably produce healthier crops with higher yields and reduced post-harvest losses, and focus on fair prices for farm inputs and outputs to enable farmers to earn decent livelihoods. These measures are easier said than done, but they are essential to our ability to feed ourselves and possibly feed the world—the dream that got me interested in a career in science and research.

Additionally, I am very interested in entrepreneurship as a scientist. Doctoral and postdoctoral training equips us with many transferable skills that enable us to create and lead teams and also use creative and innovative methods in problem solving. I come from a region of the world where the median age is about 19 years. We need to create opportunities for young people to earn a decent livable wage while also empowering them to create employment opportunities for others.

In addition to your research, how do you want to advance the scientific enterprise?

There are three other ways that I would like to advance the scientific enterprise.

The first is through mentorship. I have been very fortunate to have had excellent mentors throughout my career. These individuals are hugely invested in my development and are committed to walking the journey with me, sharing wisdom and, many times, a listening ear. They have also opened their networks to me and vouched for me when I needed it. These giants let me stand on their shoulders so that I may see further, and that made all the difference. I hope to be this type of mentor and sponsor to others as well.

The second way is through science communication. Many people in our communities do not understand the science being done in our research organizations, yet a huge portion of our annual research funding is from the public. For example, data show that about 30% of research conducted in Germany is funded by public funds, with the government contributing approximately 3% of its GDP to research and development. In South Africa, the government funds about 52.5% of  research, to the tune of about R 20, 049 billion (~USD 1.12 billion), which is about 0.85% of its GDP. Based on these data, we then are obligated to, at the very least, ensure that the public can access useful information about our work, with little room for misinterpretation. Additionally, we need to avail data to the public to increase policy makers’ use of the right data when making decisions. Starting with my own research, I always translate my published research into articles that can be easily utilized by people outside the science community. I hope to go even deeper, especially for key pieces of published research that are necessary for policy development in Africa.

The third way is through organizing science communities. I have come to really enjoy bringing scientists together to share research output and resources and provide opportunities to collaborate. I am currently the secretary general of the African Section of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects. It has been great organizing monthly virtual seminars and annual symposia that bring the community together. Through these meetings, I have come to appreciate the immense talent and resources found on the continent. I have also come to a deeper understanding of some of the challenges that researchers working in Africa face. Some of the solutions to these challenges can be found among colleagues within the continent, and I hope that through this opportunity, I can help to build this bridge.

As a leader within the Genetics Society of America, what do you hope to accomplish?

Within GSA, I hope to join with others in showing the different ways in which we as scientists can work with the communities around us.

As a member of the Career Development Subcommittee, I hope to highlight science and scientists from diverse communities through the #workshopWednesday series to help amplify the range of career options that exist within science. The series has been great in helping us answer pressing career questions, such us how to get involved in such fields as science policy and how to prepare for a career in academic research, science communication, and the like.

Secondly, through my participation in the trainings and workshops organized by GSA for ECLP, I hope to learn how to become a better leader in the science community. The training courses and conversations are many, necessary, and diverse in topic. I can pass these learnings on throughout my community through trainings, including those funded through GSA Starter Culture microgrants.

Lastly, I hope to continue getting mentored by peers and advisors within GSA. This community brings together such a diverse group of scientists, highly accomplished in their fields. I hope to immerse myself and deeply tap into that wisdom.

Previous leadership experience

Secretary General of the African Section of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects (January 2024–December 2025)

Member of the Editorial Board of BMC Research Notes (2021 to date)

Mentor Cohort Sistas (2023 to date)

Cohort Sistas is a community that provides resources and mentorship to improve equity in doctoral education for black women and nonbinary people pursuing doctoral studies.

eLife community ambassador (2019–2021)

Part of a group working on changing scientific meetings for the better, to make them more equitable and sustainable. This work has so far resulted in two publications and an ongoing community survey.

Research supervisor to many undergraduate (since 2012) and master’s (since 2021) students

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