Karen Cloete is a scientist specializing in transdisciplinary research focused on elemental fingerprinting and mapping in biological matrices using ion, nuclear, and synchrotron beam techniques. She currently leads the biological specimen preparation laboratory for micro-beam PIXE at the National Research Foundation of South Africa. Born in Cape Town, she completed her research MSc cum laude and Doctorate at the University of Stellenbosch specializing in Microbiology. She is a member and past co-chair of the South African Young Academy of Science and member of the Young Scientist Community of the World Economic Forum.