Dr. Gurib-Fakim has been the managing director at the Centre for Phytotherapy Research (CEPHYR) for the past 4 years. She has spent over 15 years in higher education serving as a Dean of Faculty of Science and a Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Mauritius. She has taught Chemistry at graduate and postgraduate levels for over 20 years. During her academic career, she created a phytochemistry laboratory to analyze medicinal plants. Gurib-Fakim earned her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Surrey and a doctorate in Organic Chemistry from Exeter.