{{Short description|South African Academic}} {{Infobox person | name = Lise Korsten | image = | birth_name = | birth_date = c.1959 | birth_place = | known_for = first woman President of the African Academy of Sciences | education = Stellenbosch University, University of Pretoria | occupation = academic | predecessor = | successor = | spouse = | partner = | children = | parents = | relatives = Prof Jan Kotze (step father) | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Lise Korsten''' is a South African Professor at the University of Pretoria who is an expert in plant pathology. In 2024, she became the first woman to lead the African Academy of Sciences.{{Citation needed|date=December 2025}}
==Life== Korsten was born in about 1959.<ref name=ch60/> She credits her step father who was a plant researcher with inspiring her interests.<ref name=matters>{{Cite web |title=Professor Lise Korsten {{!}} Researchers {{!}} University of Pretoria |url=https://www.up.ac.za/research-matters/news/researchers/view-2997097-professor-lise-korsten |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=www.up.ac.za}}</ref> She attended Floridase Hoërskool in Gauteng before studying at Stellenbosch University and the University of Pretoria.<ref name=ch60>{{Cite web |title=Lise Korsten (60) |url=https://womenchangingsa.co.za/women-changing-south-africa/lise-prof-korsten/ |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=Mail&Guardian – Women changing South Africa |language=en-ZA}}</ref>
==African Academy of Sciences== In August 2023, she became the first woman to lead the African Academy of Sciences,<ref name=wef/> succeeding Felix Dapare Dakora. As its president, she aimed to make the academy more inclusive and gender balanced. The academy should she believes be widely recognised as a leader in African sciences.<ref name=intera>{{Cite web |title=Lise Korsten |url=https://www.interacademies.org/person/lisa-korsten |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=www.interacademies.org |language=en-GB}}</ref> She leads the academy's governing council of ten people and three of these Jane Catherine Ngila, Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli and Peggy Oti-Boateng who was the executive director from 2022 are also women.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) |url=https://aasciences.africa/governing-council |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=aasciences.africa |language=en}}</ref> She will be president until 2026.<ref name="wef">{{Cite web |title=Lise Korsten |url=https://www.weforum.org/people/liza-korsten/ |access-date= |website=World Economic Forum}}</ref> Kortsen had taken over the leadership of the academy after a difficult period. The academy had found that its staff and budget had grown to 60 staff controlling $250m supported by the Wellcome Trust and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Internal disagreements led to the loss of the academy's financial supporters. Korsten and her executive secretary had to re-establish the academy's role.<ref name=nature>{{Cite journal |date=2024-03-19 |title=A fresh start for the African Academy of Sciences |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00814-1 |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=627 |issue=8004 |pages=465 |doi=10.1038/d41586-024-00814-1 |pmid=38503917 |bibcode=2024Natur.627..465. }}</ref>
She is also a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.assaf.org.za/members-directory/|title=Member Directory|publisher=Academy of Science of South Africa|access-date=11 September 2025}}</ref>
==Her research== Korsten's research includes the regulation of food and she takes an interest in South African Law. She has argued for a body to be appointed that would oversee food consumption.<ref name=matters/> In January 2025 she spoke out warning about the hazards of street food and the need for the South African government to bring in controls.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fulepu |first=Iva |title=Toxic treats: Expert tells Parliament of urgent need to regulate informal food sellers |url=https://www.news24.com/politics/toxic-treats-expert-tells-parliament-of-urgent-need-to-regulate-informal-food-sellers-20250129 |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=News24 |language=en-US}}</ref> Later that year she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Ghent University.<ref name="swise">{{Cite web |title=UP's Prof Lise Korsten receives Honorary Doctorate from Ghent University {{!}} Newswise |url=https://www.newswise.com/articles/up-s-prof-lise-korsten-receives-honorary-doctorate-from-ghent-university |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=www.newswise.com |language=en}}</ref>
In 2025, the National Science and Technology Forum recognised her work with a Lifetime Achievement Award.<ref name=sthaward>{{Cite web |title=CoE-FS Co-Director Professor Lise Korsten Honoured with 2025 NSTF–South32 Lifetime Achievement Award |url=https://foodsecurity.ac.za/news/coe-fs-co-director-professor-lise-korsten-honoured-with-2025-nstf-south32-lifetime-achievement-award/ |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=Centre of Excellence |language=en-ZA}}</ref>
== Selected publications == *{{cite journal | last1=Karoney | first1=Edwin M. | last2=Gokul | first2=Jarishma K. | last3=Siyoum | first3=Nazareth | last4=Molelekoa | first4=Tintswalo | last5=Korsten | first5=Lise | title=Persistence of pathogens and biocontrol potential in the bell pepper fruit mycobiome from flowering to postharvest | journal=Frontiers in Horticulture | publisher=Frontiers Media SA | volume=4 | date=2025-08-19 | article-number=1656887 | issn=2813-3595 | doi=10.3389/fhort.2025.1656887 | doi-access=free}} * {{cite journal | last1=Molelekoa | first1=Tintswalo | last2=Karoney | first2=Edwin M. | last3=Siyoum | first3=Nazareth | last4=Gokul | first4=Jarishma K. | last5=Korsten | first5=Lise | title=Quality and Quantity Losses of Tomatoes Grown by Small-Scale Farmers Under Different Production Systems | journal=Horticulturae | publisher=MDPI AG | volume=11 | issue=8 | date=2025-08-01 | issn=2311-7524 | doi=10.3390/horticulturae11080884 | doi-access=free | page=884}} * {{cite journal | last1=Aneck-Hahn | first1=N. H. | last2=Van Zijl | first2=M. C. | last3=Quinn | first3=L. | last4=Swiegelaar | first4=C. | last5=Nhlapo | first5=N. | last6=de Bruin | first6=W. | last7=Korsten | first7=L. | title=The use of in vitro bioassays and chemical screening to assess the impact of a minimally processed vegetable facility on wastewater quality | journal=Frontiers in Toxicology | publisher=Frontiers Media SA | volume=6 | date=2024-09-16 | article-number=1439126 | issn=2673-3080 | doi=10.3389/ftox.2024.1439126 | doi-access=free| pmid=39350794 | pmc=11439871 }} * {{cite journal | last1=Ogega | first1=Obed M. | last2=Korsten | first2=Lise | last3=Oti-Boateng | first3=Peggy | last4=Odongo | first4=Dorine | last5=Thorn | first5=Jessica | title=How to transform Africa's food system | journal=Communications Earth & Environment | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=5 | issue=1 | date=2024-02-12 | article-number=82 | issn=2662-4435 | doi=10.1038/s43247-024-01250-9 | doi-access=free | bibcode=2024ComEE...5...82O | url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01250-9.pdf | access-date=2025-09-06}} * {{cite journal | last1=Muwanga | first1=Tracy SN | last2=Korsten | first2=Lise | title=The right to food in South Africa: A consumer protection perspective | journal=African Human Rights Law Journal | publisher=Academy of Science of South Africa | volume=24 | issue=2 | date=2025-02-03 | issn=1609-073X | doi=10.17159/1996-2096/2024/v24n2a10 | doi-access=free | pages=632–658| hdl=2263/101342 | hdl-access=free }}
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Korsten, Lise}} Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:Phytopathologists Category:Stellenbosch University alumni Category:University of Pretoria alumni Category:South African academics Category:South African women scientists Category:South African legal scholars Category:Fellows of the African Academy of Sciences Category:Members of the Academy of Science of South Africa