From Borrie to Breakthroughs: Prof. Soraya Bardien on Parkinson’s, Genetics and Women in STEM
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In this special Women’s Month edition of Lift Club with Caleb Daries and Shaun Daniels, we’re joined by Professor Soraya Bardien — one of South Africa’s foremost researchers in human genetics and the recipient of the 2025 HERS-SA Women in STEM Award.
Prof. Bardien leads the Parkinson’s Disease Research Group at Stellenbosch University, the only research team of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa. Her groundbreaking work explores the genetic causes of Parkinson’s in South African populations — uncovering variants not seen in Europe or Asia — and investigates the therapeutic potential of curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, in treating the disease.
But her journey to the lab was anything but typical. Raised on the Cape Flats and educated at a high school without a science lab, she went on to earn her PhD, supervise over 50 postgraduates and postdocs, and represent South Africa on international scientific consortia.
In this wide-ranging conversation, Prof. Bardien shares:
1. Her personal path from student activist to full professor
2. How genetic research in Africa is reshaping global understanding of Parkinson’s
3. The scientific potential of “borrie” in future treatments
4. What it meant to win a national award recognising women in science
5. The barriers that continue to face women in STEM — and how to dismantle them
6. Her message for young women in under-resourced communities who dream of becoming scientists
This episode is an inspiring reminder that science is not just about breakthroughs — it's about who gets to make them.
Prof. Bardien leads the Parkinson’s Disease Research Group at Stellenbosch University, the only research team of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa. Her groundbreaking work explores the genetic causes of Parkinson’s in South African populations — uncovering variants not seen in Europe or Asia — and investigates the therapeutic potential of curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, in treating the disease.
But her journey to the lab was anything but typical. Raised on the Cape Flats and educated at a high school without a science lab, she went on to earn her PhD, supervise over 50 postgraduates and postdocs, and represent South Africa on international scientific consortia.
In this wide-ranging conversation, Prof. Bardien shares:
1. Her personal path from student activist to full professor
2. How genetic research in Africa is reshaping global understanding of Parkinson’s
3. The scientific potential of “borrie” in future treatments
4. What it meant to win a national award recognising women in science
5. The barriers that continue to face women in STEM — and how to dismantle them
6. Her message for young women in under-resourced communities who dream of becoming scientists
This episode is an inspiring reminder that science is not just about breakthroughs — it's about who gets to make them.
