Dr. Kimberley Foster

Dr. Kimberley Foster is a Jamaican biotechnologist with a PhD in Biotechnology from The University of the West Indies, where her research focused on cancer, cell biology, and medicinal plants. Her doctoral research laid foundational groundwork in medicinal plant bioactivity with a potential to directly inform novel therapeutic development in cancer treatment. Currently serving as Research Fellow at the Caribbean Centre for Research in Bioscience, her work explores how to leverage unique molecular structures from natural sources to engineer new biological functions and develop innovative solutions for targeted therapies in cancer treatment.
She served as Chief Operations Officer and Senior Biologist at Future Wellness Ltd. (Fieldtrip), where she spearheaded research projects on psilocybe mushroom cultivation, overseeing all aspects from design to implementation and presentation. Her leadership extends to supervising research teams, developing Standard Operating Procedures, and representing the company at international conferences. Parallel to her industry role, she teaches courses at the tertiary level in Nutraceutical Biotechnology and Tissue Engineering. She is actively involved in shaping the next generation of scientists through interactive teaching, supervision of undergraduate research projects, and organizing enriching field experiences. She has also actively engaged with the scientific community and the public through invited talks and presentations at national and international conferences.
Beyond her research and teaching, Dr. Foster is actively involved in professional and academic societies, including the American Association of Cancer Research and the Society for Scientific Advancement. She also contributes her expertise to the Jamaica Psilocybin Technical Committee and serves as an industry consultant, demonstrating her dedication to the advancement and responsible application of biotechnology in Jamaica and beyond. Kimberley was recognized as one of the top four Young Scientists of 2022 at Jamaica’s 7th Biennial National Science and Technology Conference. When she is not in the lab, she can be found hiking nature trails with friends and family.