Location (during time of takeover)
School/Institution
| Undergrad | University of the Philippines Diliman Molecular Biology and Biotechnology |
|---|---|
| Graduate Studies | Columbia University Biological Sciences |
| PhD | Columbia University Biological Sciences |
Featured on July 7, 2024
It’s brains on the mind of Pinoy Scientist Robert Aguilar, a PhD Candidate at the Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, United States of America and Vice President of GradMAP Philippines.
Robert graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. While there, he was a researcher under a number of professors at the university. He also spent time in laboratories at the University of Tokyo, Japan, and Academia Sinica, Taiwan. He joined Columbia University’s Biological Sciences program a year after completing his undergraduate degree and used his experience with graduate studies applications to become a volunteer at GradMAP Philippine. As a mentor at GradMAP, he guided potential students hoping to pursue further studies through the general application process. He eventually became a Director for Events at the organization.
Robert is now working toward his PhD in Biological Sciences at Columbia University, serving as a graduate research assistant. He is currently studying the genetics involved in the nervous system development of C. elegans. He remains with GradMAP to this day as their Vice President.
Some fun facts about Robert:
- He is a parent to 35 plants. The largest is a fiddle leaf fig tree (which is taller than him) that he found on the streets of New York.
- He’s tried food from around the world, but nothing has beaten sarciadong pinikas nga buwad. If you know, you know.
- He used to have a podcast, which was really just a conversation between him and a friend comparing life as a scientist vs being a doctor.
