The AfLS Executive Committee brings together physicists, structural biologists, materials scientists and science leaders from across Africa and its global diaspora to steer the campaign for an African Light Source. Its members are based at universities, national facilities and established synchrotrons on five continents, uniting African expertise with the world’s leading light-source communities.
Global ReachAn African initiative with worldwide expertise
The committee deliberately pairs scientists working inside Africa with members of the African scientific diaspora and international allies at major synchrotron facilities. This structure channels hands-on experience from light sources such as the ESRF, Diamond and SESAME directly into the planning of a future African facility.
LeadershipChair and Deputy Chair
Simon Connell
Chair · University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Prosper Ngabonziza
Deputy Chair · Louisiana State University, USA and Rwanda
MembersCommittee membership
Richard Catlow
Royal Society, UK
Thierry d’Almeida
CEA France, X-TechLab
Tabbetha Dobbins
Rowan University, USA
Kathleen Dollman
Postdoctoral Scientist, ESRF
Kudakwashe Jakata
Diamond Light Source, UK
Gihan Kamel
SESAME (Jordan) and Helwan University (Egypt)
Sameen Ahmed Khan
Dhofar University, Salalah, Sultanate of Oman
Nkem Khumbah
University of Michigan and Cameroon; STEM-Africa Initiative, Cameroon
Robert Kingsford-Adaboh
University of Ghana, Ghana
Abram Ledbetter
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), USA
Brian Masara
South African Institute of Physics and Zimbabwe
Edward Mitchell
European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF)
Wilson Mogodi
University of Cape Town, South Africa
Sekazi Mtingwa
IUPAP C13 Commission on Physics for Development, USA
Célestin Mudogo
University of Kinshasa, DR Congo
Peter Ngene
Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Marcus Newton
University of Southampton, UK
Emmanuel Nji
H3D South Africa; Strathmore University, Kenya
Lawrence Norris
Arlington Science and Technology Alliance, USA
Tshepo Ntsoane
Necsa, South Africa
Victor Odari
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kenya
Philip Oladijo
Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Botswana
Sanae Samsam
INFN, Italy
Sónia Semedo
UFPLP and Universidade de Cabo Verde
Ahmadou Wague
Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), Senegal
Michele Zema
IUCr and University of Bari, Italy
About the Committee
Working together, these members coordinate the scientific case, advocacy and capacity-building activities that underpin the African Light Source initiative, drawing on partnerships across the global synchrotron community to build a sustainable facility for the continent.