Marc Van Goethem

Dr Marc Van Goethem, 35, is a microbial ecologist at the University of Pretoria and one of five finalists for the 2026
Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant, which awards $150,000 a year to early-career African scientists tackling the
continent's most pressing environmental challenges. His research examines how microbial communities adapt to extreme
environments - from Antarctic deserts to hyper-arid drylands - and how they can support ecosystem restoration under a
changing climate.
His interest began in childhood, wondering why deserts covered so much of Africa and whether they would keep
expanding. That curiosity shaped his study of how plants, animals and microorganisms survive prolonged heat and water
stress. His academic path has taken him through Belgium, the US and Saudi Arabia, where he had access to world-class
supercomputing facilities; returning to South Africa's more limited infrastructure pushed him to design leaner, more
collaborative experiments.
Outside research, Van Goethem plays chess, climbs indoors and cooks with his wife - which he says keeps his "wet lab"
skills current. He also grows spekboom (Portulacaria afra) at home, with his oldest plant now 18 years old.