Among Castillo’s research highlights are drug delivery of natural products and product development. Her work with natural products and pharmacology have been published in journals such as Current Enzyme Inhibition, the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, and Neurotoxicology. Conditions that have been the subject of her studies include Alzheimer’s disease, osteoarthritis, and myeloid leukemia.

A decorated academic, she has been feted with the 2023 The Outstanding Pharmacist Award in Research by the Philippine Pharmacists Association, Inc. and the 2021 Best Mentor in Health Research Award by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development. Recently, she was also named a recipient of the 2025 Faces of PACOP Award (Research Category) by the Philippine Association of College of Pharmacy.

Llamasares-Castillo teaches at the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Graduate School and is an academic researcher at the Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences. She has recently partnered with Assoc. Prof. Donald G. Manlapaz, PhD, PTRP to establish the GRACE HUB with support from the TOMASInno Technology Business Incubator of the University.

The NRCP Achievement Award was established in 1979 to recognize “members for their significant contributions to their respective fields.” Among UST’s NRCP Achievement Awardees are Prof. Mario A. Tan, PhD (Chemical Sciences, 2023), Prof. Jovencio G. Apostol, PhD (Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2017),  Prof. Allan B. de Guzman, PhD (Governmental, Educational, and International Policies, 2006), and Prof. Maria Natalia R. Dimaano, PhD (Engineering and Technology, 2009).

The post Llamasares-Castillo of Pharmacy named 2024 NCRP Achievement Awardee for pharmaceutical sciences appeared first on ��ɫ.

Etrata, the incumbent Chair of the Department of Marketing Management and immediate past Practicum Coordinator of the College of Commerce and Business Administration (CCBA), was also recognized for “fostering a dynamic culture for student growth and development through published marketing research.” The recognition is a testament to the use of “innovative teaching methods, industry expertise, mentorship, and contributions to enhancing the overall quality of marketing education in the Philippines.”

In an interview with the Communications Bureau, Etrata said the “award…is a responsibility—a reminder that I should do more, contribute more to making marketing education in the Philippines world class through improved pedagogy, curriculum innovation, relevant research, meaningful and industry-calibrated outputs.” He extended deep gratitude to the CCBA officials, his colleagues in the Department of Marketing Management, students, alumni, partners and sponsors, as well as the UST Junior Marketing Association.

In the same interview, Etrata disclosed what the CCBA and Department has in store for students. These include the first-ever Marketing Bootcamp, which will be delivered by industry partners; the first national marketing summit to be hosted by UST; a collaboration with Philippine Retailers Association for a master class in retail marketing and creating a retail laboratory in UST; a research conference with the Philippine Marketing Research Educators of the Philippines (PAMRE); and a research fellowship abroad.

Etrata was nominated by a member of the PMA, whose past president, officers, and academe representatives served as panel of judges. Part of the screening process was the submission of the professional portfolio by the nominees. Holding a doctoral degree in Commerce and master’s degree in Business Administration from UST, Etrata has served as Practicum and Local Linkages Coordinator of CCBA (2022-2024) and Pedagogical Lead (2024). He is the Vice-President of the Central Manila Chapter of PAMRE and is an active member of organizations like the Academy of International Business and International Society for Development and Sustainability.

Etrata helped facilitate the internship-to-employment program between PBCOM and UST, as well as collaborations for marketing research with PBCOM, McCormick, and the Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Inc. There is likewise an agreement with FPT University – Vietnam for international mobility programs. Also a researcher, Etrata has over forty publications, several of which are indexed in Scopus.

The post Etrata named outstanding marketing educator appeared first on ��ɫ.

The study, co-authored by fr. Austriaco with Mary Chelsea E. Diego and Red Lazaro of the Department of Biological Sciences, Angus White of Providence College – USA, and Allan Paola L. Almajose of the Department of Chemical Engineering, adapted a susceptible-infected-recovered model to help vaccinators administer the needed COVID-19 deterrent and arrest the spread of the disease. The model targeted the National Capital Region as the main focus area of widespread vaccine distribution to mitigate viral transmission, which was high in the capital, while the rest of the archipelago can first focus on medical frontliners, senior citizens, and adults with comorbidities.

The study, entitled “,” was published in the Philippine Journal of Science and helped the Philippine government in distributing limited vaccine supply to the sectors who needed it most.

The NRCP Gabay Award is given annually to active NRCP members whose research works have resulted or translated to adopted technologies and policies; or have informed local and national policy-making.

The post Fr. Austriaco hailed as 2024 NRCP Gabay Awardee for study on vaccine distribution strategy appeared first on ��ɫ.

Ms. Anne Parojinog, MS won first place in the Oral Competition of the Biological and Health Sciences category (MS level) for her research entitled “Integrated Urban Ecology: A socio-ecological overview of Metropolitan Manila and bioecological study of its two urban protected forests”.

Meanwhile, Ms. Pauline Maglipon, MS won first place in the Poster Competition of the Agricultural and Environmental Science category for her poster entitled “Spatiotemporal distribution and diversity of plant communities in post fire sites of Mts. Iglit-Baco Natural Park, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines”. Both Ms. Parojinog and Ms. Maglipon were under the supervision of Biological Sciences academic researcher Nikki Heherson Dagamac, Dr.rer.nat.

Another Environmental Biology alumna, Ms. Kamille Poblete, M.Sc. won third place in the Poster Competition of the Biological and Health Sciences category for her research entitled “Temporal shifts of methane production and methane oxidizing bacteria communities: A limnological assessment in a tropical lake,” which she conducted under the supervision of College of Science Dean Rey Donne S. Papa, PhD.

Lastly, Mr. Theo Victor Cavite of the MS Applied Physics major in Medical Physics program garnered second place in the Poster Competition of the Physical Sciences Category. His poster entitled “Neutron spectrometry via in-115 activation foil at the Philippines’ sole research reactor” was co-authored with his supervisors Dr. Alvie J. Asuncion-Astronomo of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute and Asst. Prof. Roland Cristopher F. Caballar, Ph.D. of the UST Department of Mathematics and Physics.

These award-winning student researchers are part of the UST delegation composed of 13 DOST scholars, four Graduate School academic staff, and two UST DOST-ASTHRDP office project staff. The ��ɫ is a member of the National Science Consortium (NSC) under the ASTHRDP of the DOST–Science Education Institute, which oversees the offering of scholarships in flagship Science and Technology graduate programs. UST is represented in the NSC by Dean Papa. First offered in UST in 2010, the DOST-ASTHRDP scholarship has supported 435 Master of Science graduates and 55 doctoral degree graduates. This academic year, there are 70 Master of Science and 6 doctoral students enjoying the scholarship.

The post Thomasian DOST scholars bag research presentation awards for studies on ecology, tropical lake, and neutron spectrometry appeared first on ��ɫ.

Bennett was recognized for research efforts as young researcher at the Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences and for his work while a graduate student. Specifically, Bennett’s work on the taxonomy and evolution of oomycetes was recognized. Building on the comprehensive study by Dogma, Bennett’s contributions helped “fill in the missing literature and knowledge gap in Philippine Oomycetes.” His studies focus on oomycete taxonomy, ecology, and evolution. Recently, he has engaged with fellow Thomasian researchers on the applied aspects of oomycetes such as fatty acids and secondary metabolites. Among his collaborators, are Prof. Dr. Gina Dedeles, Inst. Mark Devanadera, Prof. Dr. Mafel Ysrael, Inst. Nono Caguimbal, and Asst. Prof. Dr. Kim Arafiles.

His current focus is researching with and training students “who are very willing to learn about these organisms,” which he counts as a rarity as the work involves long hours of observations using a microscope to try and decode the oomycetes life cycle and development.

In his interview with the Communications Bureau, Bennett acknowledged College of Science Dean Rey Donne S. Papa, PhD for the nomination and his plant pathology and mycology professor at the UST Graduate School, Prof. Irineo J. Dogma, Jr., PhD, whom he hailed as the “authority on zoosporic fungi.” He also thanked graduate research advisers Prof. Dedeles and Prof. Dr. Marco Thines. The Chair also thanked his colleagues and teachers in the department, namely Asst. Prof. Mae Lowe Diesmos, Prof. Dr. Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz, Prof. Dr. Pia Marie S.P. Albano, and Prof. Dr. Maureen Sabit.

The post Bennett of BioSci, RCNAS is 2024 Outstanding Young Scientist appeared first on ��ɫ.

Winning the Third Prize is Inst. John Andrew C. Albay, PhD of the Department of Mathematics and Physics for his work  “Colloidal Heat Engine Driven by Engineered Active Noise.” Albay becomes the first NAST TSYS awardee of the Department.

Receiving citations are Inst. Katherine Yasmin M. Garcia, MS of the Department of Chemistry and Asst. Prof. Jame Monren T. Mercado, MA of the Department of Tourism Management.

Garcia was recognized for her work entitled “Antiproliferative and Cytotoxic Cytochalasins from 𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘢 Inhibit Action Polymerization and Aggregation.”

Meanwhile, Mercado, who is an academic researcher of the Research Center for Social Sciences and Education, was recognized for his work entitled “Ysla de Panciteria: A Preliminary Study on the Culinary Heritage Significance of Pancit Using the Heritage Documentation Approach — the Case of Luzon Island, Philippines.” Mercado co-authored the work with Dr. Avi Ben Andalecio, also of the College of Tourism and Hospitality Management.

The post Science, Tourism academic staff win awards in Nat’l Academy of Science and Technology Talent Search for Young Scientists appeared first on ��ɫ.

RCSSED Director Jeremaiah M. Opiniano (The University of Adelaide) won the 2024 Dissertation Award from the Mixed Methods International Research Association (MMIRA) for his doctoral project titled “Overseas Remittances and Rural Hometown Investing: Towards an Understanding of the Migration-and-Local Development Nexus.” 

His PhD project, in May 2021, had already won the John Lewis Medal of Excellence for Outstanding Doctoral Research in Geography, from the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia (RGSSA), where Adelaide belongs.

MMIRA’s dissertation awards, the Association said, “recognize a beginning scholar completing original research whose dissertation has made an outstanding contribution to the field of mixed methods research”.  Applicants to the 2024 MMIRA dissertation award must have the PhD thesis or dissertation defended / passed during the period December 1, 2020 to September 30, 2023.

Meanwhile, RCSSED Assistant Director Pia Patricia P. Tenedero (Macquarie University) will receive this year’s Virginia A. Miralao Excellence in Research Award (VAMERA) from the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC).

Tenedero won the award for her book titled Communication that Counts: Language Practice and Ideology in Globalized Accounting that comes from her PhD thesis at Macquarie University. The book was published as part of the Language at Work series by publisher Multilingual Matters, based in Bristol in the United Kingdom.

VAMERA honors former PSSC Executive Director Dr. Virginia Miralao, and the prize comes from a 2012 grant to PSSC by Professor Emerita Dr. Belinda Aquino of the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the US. The award, handed out to a published journal article, book chapter or book, serves as an incentive (i.e., below 45 years old) “to pursue original and meaningful research”.

Tenedero, currently an honorary research fellow at Macquarie’s Department of Linguistics, will receive a unique trophy made by noted visual artist Toym Leon Imao.

Both awardees belong to the Faculty of Arts and Letters‘ Journalism and English programs, respectively.

Drs. Yan Tan (primary) and Dianne Marie Rudd (co-supervisor) advised Opiniano’s project, while Distinguished Professor Ingrid Piller and Dr. Loy Lising acted as primary and co-supervisors, respectively of Tenedero.

The individual citations of the two officials come as RCSSED received the Outstanding Research Institution Award, for Social Sciences and the Humanities, from the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) last March.

The post RCSSED officials win research recognitions appeared first on ��ɫ.

NRCP approved Council Resolution 2024-06 to grant RCSSED the “Outstanding Institution Award (Cluster 1)” for the year 2023. The February 1, 2024 letter of NRCP writes that the Outstanding Institution Award “is given to outstanding institutions in recognition of their dedicated support and / or significant contribution to the growth and development of basic sciences, humanities, and the arts in the Philippines.”

NRCP will give the said award during its 2024 Annual Scientific Conference and General Assembly, slated this March 12 at the Philippine International Convention Center. 

RCSSED becomes the third UST research center to win this NRCP award, after the Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences (RCNAS, 2015) and the Research Center for Culture, Arts and Humanities (RCCAH, 2021).

RCSSED was formed in January 2017 as a spin-off center from the former Research Center for Culture, Education and Social Issues (RCCESI), where RCCAH also came from. Prof. Belinda D.V. de Castro, PhD of the College of Commerce and Business Administrator is RCSSED’s first director.

RCSSED took its roots from predecessor research centers that include the Social Research Center (SRC), the Institute of Development Education (IDE), and the Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD).

The criteria for NRCP’s outstanding institution award include: 

• Publications in refereed and reputable journals (50 percent);
• External linkages and extension services, including support to policy formulation (20 percent);
• Research or service awards and recognitions received (15 percent); and
• Number of undergraduate and graduate students trained or number of personnel trained (15 percent).

The post UST’s social sciences, education research center named outstanding institution by NRCP appeared first on ��ɫ.

Guinto, a Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences student of the Graduate School, studied the freshwater calanoid copepod which was named an invasive species. Genomic DNA were extracted to represent seven populations in Luzon. The noted population increase is attributed to “the suspected initial introduction via ornamental aquarium fish trade practices in 1905 and then a population range expansion through a single or multiple introduction event towards other nearby inland waters through accidental movement of A. dorsalis individuals via human-mediated activities, particularly aquaculture, which have persisted since 1972.”

The post Population genetics, phylogeorgraphy study of invasive species in Laguna de Bay wins best paper presentation award appeared first on ��ɫ.

For the research poster awards, Gabriel Luis L. Neri and Hannah Joy C. Drapisa won the first- and third-place awards, respectively. Neri’s work was entitled “Synthetic Electrophilic Cyclopent-2-enone Conjugates Modulate Nrf2 Release and Inhibit NF-κB/IL-6 In Vitro,” under the supervision of Prof. Allan Patrick G. Macabeo, Dr. rer. nat.

Drapisa, also under the supervision of Macabeo, worked on the study entitled “Isolation and Structure Elucidation of Anti-staphylococcal Secondary Metabolites from the Endophytic Fungus of Uvaria grandiflora, Epicoccum nigrum.”

For the oral research presentation, Zaira Fe C. Castañares won third place for the paper “Isolation, Structure Elucidation and Biological Assessment of a New Isochroman Compound from the Endophytic Fungus, Hypoxylon lividipigmentum.” Macabeo is also the adviser of this third award-winning paper.

The post MS Chemistry students win awards for biological, health sciences paper, poster presentations appeared first on ��ɫ.