The lab mentor shaping generations of students and researchers
- Wits University
From Fordsburg to the laboratories of Wits.
This July, in celebration of National Science Month, we have shone the spotlight on our unsung heroes – the people who work behind the scenes to enable Wits researchers across our faculties to advance discovery and push the frontiers of knowledge.
Our final profile features Hasiena Ali, a Principal Technician in the Department of Anatomical Sciences whose expertise has helped train generations of students at Wits and postgraduate researchers from across Southern Africa.
Born in Fordsburg, Ali attended Bree Primary School before travelling to Lenasia for high school because there was no secondary school in her community at the time. Even then, she stood out as a natural leader, serving as Head Girl in her matric year.
Her career began in medical technology, one of the few professions that allowed students to study while earning a stipend. Under the restrictive policies of the time, she attended lectures at Baragwanath Hospital before qualifying as a Medical Technologist. It was the first step in what would become a lifelong commitment to science and education.
Ali's journey took her through the South African Institute for Medical Research, Lancet Laboratories and the Wits Dental School, where she discovered her passion for research. Following the merger of the Medical and Dental Schools in 1999, she joined the PCR Laboratory, supporting academics with the practical aspects of their research before moving to the School of Anatomical Sciences in 2005. Determined to keep learning, she completed an Honours degree in Biomedical Technology while working full time.
Since then, she has become a trusted mentor to countless Honours, Master's and PhD students. Researchers from South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi and Zimbabwe have benefited from her guidance, while international collaborations saw her receive specialised neurohistology training at the University of Zurich through the Swiss-South African Joint Research Project.
Her expertise stretches across Histology, Tissue and Cell Culture, PCR, Immunohistochemistry and Neuro laboratories. But colleagues say it is her patience, willingness to solve problems and ability to teach complex laboratory techniques that truly set her apart. Whether helping a postgraduate student troubleshoot an experiment or supporting academics with specialised protocols, Ali has become a reassuring presence in laboratories across the Faculty of Health Sciences.
For Ali, the work has always been about more than science. She believes anatomy forms the foundation of every medical and biomedical qualification. Without a strong foundation, she says, no structure can stand. That philosophy has shaped her career, one dedicated to ensuring others have the knowledge, confidence and technical skills to succeed.
After 21 years in the Department of Anatomical Sciences, what she treasures most is working with young people. Their curiosity and enthusiasm continue to inspire her, just as her quiet excellence has inspired generations of researchers.
While many breakthroughs bear someone else's name, the fingerprints of Hasiena Ali can be found in laboratories, dissertations and discoveries across Africa – a legacy measured not in accolades, but in the success of those she has helped along the way.
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