Angelica Suarez

Featured on February 5, 2023

We’re still in not so sunny Singapore. This week with Angelica “Aica” Suarez, a PhD student taking up pharmaceutical chemistry at the National University of Singapore!

Aica graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of the Philippines Visayas and was also awarded the Most Outstanding Chemistry Graduate by the Integrated Chemists of the Philippines. Her thesis investigated quorum sensing inhibition by red marine seaweed in Guimaras.

Later on, Aica graduated with a Masters in Chemistry at the same institution, with her thesis this time revolving around the structure-based virtual screening of natural products as inhibitors of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Aica worked as a Science Research Associate at the Centre for Drug Discovery and Development at the University of San Agustin. There, she engaged in the drug discovery and metabolomics of marine Actinobacteria. At the same institution, she also worked at the Centre for Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, where she investigated the drug discovery and metabolomics of functional foods in the Philippines.

For her doctoral thesis, Aica is undertaking the genome mining and functional studies of modifying enzymes found in certain natural product pathways. Her studies in Singapore were made possible through the DOST-SEI Foreign Graduate Scholarship.

Some fun facts about Aica:

1. She is passionate about exploring the potential of natural products and believes in the power of a holistic approach to health and wellness.
2. She dreamt of becoming an astronaut when she was young, but since the ship has sailed, she now enjoys diving into open sea waters to make new discoveries.
3. She is always looking for creative ways to stay active and have fun. She enjoys going to the gym and tries to keep up with the latest dance trends on TikTok (but she’s too shy to share it on social media).