What happens when groundbreaking science meets fearless determination? Meet Josiane Kenfack, a researcher on a mission to transform women’s health in Cameroon—one conversation, one discovery, and one breakthrough at a time. The Isala Sisterhood project in Cameroon, Leke, coordinated by Josiane has driven her innovative research, earning her recognition from the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP).
We are thrilled to announce that Josiane, a PhD student from Cameroon, has been honored with the 2025 Gregor Reid Award for Outstanding Scholars in Developing Nations! This award is presented to early-career researchers from low- and middle-income countries who demonstrate significant scientific merit and impact in the fields of probiotics and prebiotics. Candidates are characterized by their commitment to scientific innovation, and community development, while also being involved in both local and international scientific collaborations. They often engage in research that addresses health challenges pertinent to their regions, exemplified by the 2025 awardee, Josiane. Established in 2023 by the ISAPP, the award honors Dr. Gregor Reid.
Josiane is a joint PhD student from University of Yaoundé I in Cameroon and University of Antwerp in Belgium, passionate about women’s health and the vaginal microbiome. Josiane was chosen from a pool of incredible candidates by the ISAPP Students and Fellows Association, thanks to her deep commitment to positively impacting women’s health in Africa and filling the gender data gap on black women’s research.
Bringing Science to the Community
The story that changed lives in Cameroon started two years ago when Josiane contacted the Isala team for an internship and possible collab. She showed deep dedication and had so many inspirational science questions, so the Isala team welcomed her immediately. Since she was keen on positively impacting her community, Josiane applied to the Henri Boulard award with the aim to raise awareness on good vaginal practice among Cameroonian women from urban and rural area, having already a cohort and a great team by her side. This was the first citizen science projects in Cameroon, where women—regardless of their education level—were placed at the center of microbiome research. Participants from urban areas collected their own samples, while women from rural areas preferred getting some help from Josiane while retrieve the vaginal swabs. Afterwards, Josiane shared with each woman both their personal and collective results, while encouraged to share their knowledge about good vaginal health practices with others.
She successfully broke the silence surrounding vaginal health in a remote, conservative, and patriarchal community—where men traditionally hold authority, even over women’s healthcare decisions. Josiane shares, “This grant was my first research challenge, and discussing taboo topics like the vagina was not easy.” However, through hard work and her team’s support, she not only overcame these challenges but exceeded expectations. For Josiane, this first award allowed her to do research work, which has a real impact on the lives of the participants.
As the first in her family to attend university, Josiane inspires young girls to pursue a science path and seek answers. Together with OWSD –cam (Organization for women in science for the developing world), where Josiane is an active member, she intervenes in high schools to encourage girls to continue their studies in an environment where several factors restrict girls’ education.
The Leke project: A journey to the Isala sister project in Cameroon
Josiane’s research is all about the vaginal microbiome—the microbial community that help keep women healthy—and how probiotics could play a key role in supporting well-being. Inspired by the Isala citizen science project, Josiane launched The Leke Project within the Sisterhood of Isala, a Cameroonian-led initiative that encourages women to take an active role in research about their own reproductive health. The project was named after Professor Rose Leke, an emeritus professor of immunology and parasitology who actively works against malaria.
The Leke project involves collecting vaginal health data from four different groups of Cameroonian women: living in rural areas or urban areas, HIV-positive pregnant women and HIV-negative pregnant women.
Sneak peek into the results? The findings are particularly intriguing suggesting that Cameroonian women —and potentially other African women—may require different treatments tailored to their microbiomes. As highlighted by our most recent publication, the composition of the vaginal microbiota across a variety of genetic, cultural and environmental conditions is essential in understanding the role of the vaginal microbiome in health and disease.
A Passion for Women’s Health and Microbiome Research
Apart from her leading role in the Cameroonian sister project, Josiane also plays a key leader role in IMVAHA (Improve Menstrual and Vaginal Health for All), a transdisciplinary project that studies how different menstrual products—tampons, pads, and cups—affect the vaginal microbiome, and understand the beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes of women on menstrual products. The IMVAHA project is ongoing internationally, with multiple geographical locations aiming to break the taboos on menstruation making it safer and healthier. This project is currently ongoing also in our Isala lab where women living in Belgium help us study the role of menstrual hygiene products on the intimate microbiome in the Luna study.
While Josiane is constantly expanding her expertise, her involvement in science also extends beyond Cameroon. In 2022, she won the International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID) and the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) fellowship to determine the impact of HIV infection on the vaginal microbiome and health of Cameroonian pregnant women. In May 2024 she presented preliminary results of her work in Cameroon at the Microbiome Virtual International conference and won the prize for “Best talk”.
Beyond her research, Josiane is a strong advocate for women in science and actively participates in organizations that empower women in STEM such as The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World, The Cameroon Immunology Society and The Microbiome International Virtual Forum.
A Bright Future Ahead
Josiane will officially receive her award and share her research during a talk at the ISAPP annual scientific meeting in Banff (Canada) in July 2025. After completing her PhD, Josiane plans to continue researching beneficial bacteria to improve pregnancy outcomes and expand citizen-science projects across Africa. Keep an eye on new exciting study updates to come soon!