Her research activities focus on soil fertility, food security and biogeochemistry in savannas, plantation forests and croplands. Her research funds are mostly sourced from industry and the government and she is currently actively involved in monitoring the impacts, on human health and the environment, of the new power stations in the Waterberg.

She serves as the vice-chairperson for the International Committee of Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security as well as the Secretary General for the Scientific Council on Problems in the Environment. She also chairs the advisory board of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. These activities involve extensive collaborative research with a number of overseas and local institutes.