Pinoy Scientists

Dr. Ernest Macalalad of the Philippine Space Agency is a Chief Science Research Specialist at the agency’s Interdisciplinary Space Missions Development Division and a professor at the Mapúa University Department of Physics.

Nicole Ortiz is a PhD student of Neuroscience at Sorbonne Université, France specializing in cell and molecular biology, and developmental neurobiology. Her Master thesis was about investigating the effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor signaling on locomotor responses in zebrafish larvae.

Neil Joshua Limbaga is a PhD student at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Sensors Group, Saudi Arabia who earlier this year worked with McLaren Racing of Formula One fame. His research focus is in integrated wearable systems for high-performance sports and health.

Dr. Ryan De Sotto is a microbiologist, environmental engineer and synthetic biologist at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation Research Programme. His current work is on engineering a probiotic organism for atopic dermatitis (eczema) treatment on top of other research projects.

Paige Magtaan is a public school science teacher at Kapt. Jose Cardones Integrated School. She is a school science coordinator and a Journalism Trainer, with a focus on science news.

Gizelle Danine Jamero is a Fire Safety Engineer with 10 years of experience in the field currently working for Arup in Dublin, Ireland as a Project Fire Engineer. She evaluates buildings and architectural plans for compliance with regulations and guidelines, conducts risk assessments, and develops fire safety strategies accordingly.

Aron Harold Pamoso is a registered psychometrician and PhD candidate in Psychology at the Australian National University (ANU). He is researching intersectional lived experience leadership while tackling HIV and mental health among Filipino gay and bisexual men.

Joey Cabasan is a PhD student at the University of Antwerp’s Department of Biology in Belgium. She is currently working at their Functional Morphology (FunMorph) and Evolutionary Ecology Laboratory (EVECO).

Angelico “Anjo” Obille is a PhD researcher at the University of Toronto, Canada Institute of Biomedical Engineering, reverse-engineering natural materials to find solutions to some sticky biomedical engineering challenges. They are studying wet adhesion mechanisms utilized by freshwater mussels (Dreissena sp.)

The D&C Research Group is an interdisciplinary hub committed to advancing data-driven astrophysics, computational physics, and data science for social good. Their research includes observational to gravitational wave astronomy, physics-informed machine learning methods, and data science for social good.

Gregor Ethan Posadas is a Master’s student and graduate research assistant at the Boise State College of Engineering, United States studying how delivering high concentration dissolved oxygen to wastewater treatment bioreactors affects plant performance.

Ara Joy Pacoma is a Science and Technology (S&T) Fellow at the Department of Science and Technology and a soon-to-be PhD graduate from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand for Environment, Development, and Sustainability. She is currently working on the Community Empowerment Thru Science & Technology Program and the Smart and Sustainable Communities Program.

Gabrielle Leung is working on her PhD in Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University (CSU) in the USA. She has just successfully defended her dissertation entitled “Aerosol and Land Surface Impacts on Tropical Convective Processes.”

Viviene Marie Dela Cruz is an engineer and scientist pursuing her PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom with a specialization in Space-Ground Laser Communications. She did optical fiber sensor system design at her alma mater until 2023 and worked as a researcher at Durham University in 2024.

Jasper Kit Tangal is a Registered Fisheries Professional currently taking up his Masters of Science in Fishery Science and Technology at the Department of Aquaculture of Kasetsart University, Thailand. He is a part of the Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Health Management, the Center of Excellence in Aquatic Animal Health Management, and the Special Research Incubator Unit for Development and Application of Vaccine Delivery Systems for Aquatic Animals.

Gabriel Gallardo, PhD is a product manager for quantum computing at Riverlane, United Kingdom. His doctoral research revolved around looking for dark matter through the ATLAS Experiment where he led the development and re-write of Python/C++ big data analysis frameworks for thousands of researchers on the project.

Alexis “Alex” Achacoso is a chemist and PhD student at the University of Debrecen, Hungary studying smart probes for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). He was awarded the Academic Achievement Award by the Philippine Embassy in Budapest, and the Medallion of Excellence by the University of Debrecen – Faculty of Science and Technology.

Chimira N. Andres is a PhD Earth & Space Science & Engineering student at York University, Canada. She also works with both the European (ESA) and Canadian (CSA) Space Agencies.

John Michael “Mike” Ausejo is a licensed geologist, chemical volcanologist, and MPhil-PhD Earth Sciences student at The University of Hong Kong. He is studying the petrology, geochemistry, and timescales of Taal deposits from the volcanic eruption of 2020.

Princess Aira Buma-at is a pre-Cambrian paleontologist taking her PhD at the Department of Zoology and University Museum of Zoology in Cambridge. She is studying Ediacaran macro and microfossils to understand how life evolved in its earliest stages.