Women Scientists bag grants from L'Oreal Phils

In photo, (from left) Dr. Conaco, Luc Oliver-Marquet and Dr. Yñiguez.

Curiosity never got old with two lady scientists who were recently awarded with grants under the For Women In Science (FWIS) national fellowship program of L’Oreal Philippines, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).  Under FWIS, doctors Ma. Cecilia Conaco and Aletta Yñiguez will be pursuing their respective scientific researches that would make marine biology more relevant to Filipinos and move science forward among women.

Dr. Conaco, as a child, was an avid reader and her fascination over different life forms drove her to pursue a career in science.  Upon the encouragement of her teachers, she pursued her dream to become a scientist and completed her doctorate in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Stony Brook University in New York.  “Science is fast-moving field and in research, there’s no typical day,” enthuses the lady doctor.

She was on her post-doctoral research at the Neuroscience Research Institute at the University of California when she planned to go back home and the FWIS program gave her the perfect opportunity time to restart her career in the country.

Her research involves the collection of marine sponges that will undergo gene sequencing techniques.  With the title Dynamic Gene Regulation in Marine Sponges, the study stands to reveal the gene expression of marine sponges in different stages of its life cycle, and their recorded responses to environmental changes.  From this information, useful compounds may contribute to the development new drugs or the synthesis of nano materials may help develop new materials. 

“Since adult sponges are immobile and filter water for food, these marine animals record environmental changes and this is an important resource in monitoring and conserving marine ecosystems,” adds Conaco

Curiously enough, Dr. Yñiguez was afraid of the water when she was young.  When she eventually outgrew her fear and started snorkeling, the diversity of the marine environment awed during her.  This fascination prompted Dr. Yñiguez to take up marine ecology as her major during undergraduate studies.  She completed her doctorate in Marine Biology and Fisheries at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science in the University of Miami.  Currently, she is an assistant professor at the Marine Science Institute at the University of the Philippines.

For Dr. Yñiguez, science fulfills her sense of adventure and excitement when most of her days were spent collecting specimens and sea water samples.  “It is an exciting field, even for women, and there so much opportunities,” she says the Balik-scientist of the DOST.

Researching on the changes in the phytoplankton types and the environmental conditions accompanying those types, Dr. Yñiguez hopes her study would help in the development of computer models in the management and mitigation of harmful algal blooms – an example would be the red tide.

“Marine plants and planktons are at the base of the food web.  When these organisms produce harmful algal blooms, there could be poisoning, fatalities and economic losses. This study can help validate and increase reliability of monitoring platforms that will eventually improve the existing bloom forecasting system,” explains Dr. Yñiguez.

The research study, Enhancing Robustness of Plankton models and Monitoring systems by Understanding Fine-scale Biophysical processes, will place Dr. Yñiguez in Bicol, specifically at Lamon Bay, a productive fisheries area, and Sorsogon Bay, a red tide area.

In aid of their research, both women doctors will receive P400,000  as national fellows of the FWIS. 

Launched in 2010, first batch of FWIS Philippines national fellows included doctors Laura David and Maria Corazon De Ungria.  On its second year in the country, FWIS and UNESCO with the assistance of the DOST, identified two Filipina scientists of no more than 35 years old, and supported their careers by giving them visibility and reward with a grant for their proposed research.

In1998, L’Oreal Foundation together with UNESCO created this ambitious FWIS program to promote research of women in science.  On every continent, L’Oreal, UNESCO and the scientific community have built a worldwide network that encourages women fellows to pursue research in national and international levels.

“FWIS is one of the strongest programs L’Oreal has globally today, mainly because it values key components in our company DNA – science and women.  Through this program, we have been able to create a community of women who move science forward in the hopes of making the world a better place,” shares Luc Olivier-Marquet, managing director of L’Oreal Philippines.

Christian Cayaba, the Scientific and Technico Regulatory Affairs manager of L’Oreal Philippines, hopes that the program encourages young girls pursue their interest in science.  “We would like to see more women join the science community.  We hope to inspire new models of women with focus, great level of patience, and attention to details, inherent traits found in women that science researches are in need of.”

Cayaba also announced that for the next FWIS national fellows, applicants may submit research proposals related to the Life and Material sciences.  Applicants, who are not more than 45 years of age, must hold or currently pursue masteral or doctoral degrees in any field of Life and Material science.  Two fellowship grants worth P40,000 will be given to deserving women based on the criteria of an esteemed jury composed of representatives from L’Oreal Philippines, UNESCO and the DOST.  Deadline for submission is on March 2013.