Ask Theory

This episode features Dr. Michael C. Velarde, a professor at the Institute of Biology, University of the Philippines Diliman. He has a strong background in the study of female reproduction, aging, and related diseases. One of his research projects involves studying how environmental chemicals influence disease development and progression.

We talked about PFAS and the health risks associated with them, the gaps in Philippine research regarding women’s health, how Filipinos are affected by PFAS, the dangers of immediately drawing conclusions from limited scientific data, involving young Pinoy students and scientists in health and environment research, and more.

[0:00] A quotable quote from Dr. Michael Velarde.

[1:13] Introducing Dr. Michael.

[2:49] More information about Dr. Michael.

[6:48] Dr. Michael’s mission as a scientist.

[11:19] The state of research on women’s health in the Philippines.

[13:58] Understanding PFAS: What they are, and the dangers associated with them.

[16:12] Why PFAS stay in the body after consumption.

[17:41] How Filipinos are affected by PFAS.

[20:49] Why we should be cautious when interpreting new scientific data.

[25:07] How to limit PFAS exposure - and if it’s possible to expel PFAS from the body.

[32:08] How Dr. Michael involves students and young scientists in research related to the environment and health.

[35:50] The best way to reach out to Dr. Michael.

[36:28] Dr. Michael’s advice to aspiring Filipino scientists.

How to contact Dr. Michael Velarde:

Email: [email protected]

This episode features Vince Davidson Pacañot, an Energy Engineering graduate student at the University of the Philippines Diliman and an SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action) advocate affiliated with the 2030 Youth Force in the Philippines Inc.

We talked about the current state of the Philippine energy sector, coal power plants in the Philippines, the need for sustainable, renewable, and affordable energy, how to improve the Philippines’ energy mix, how climate change threatens the country, and more.

This episode features Matthew Vincent Tabilog, a senior BS Marine Biology student from Silliman University and founder of Mangrove Matters PH.

We talked about common misconceptions regarding mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs, the importance of blue carbon, the effects of reclamation projects on the environment, the truth behind the climate crisis, the Mangrove Matters PH initiative, and more.

This episode features Peter James Abad, a genetic counselor and full-time educator at the University of the Philippines Manila’s College of Nursing. He is also affiliated with the Genetic Counseling Training Program under the Department of Pediatrics of the university’s College of Medicine.

We talked about what genetic counseling is, the roles and responsibilities of a genetic counselor, the right time to consult a genetic counselor, some diseases that Filipinos may be genetically predisposed to have, the importance of cultural sensitivity in the medical profession, and more.

This episode features Angelica Yang, a multi-awarded science journalist covering the energy and environment beats for BusinessWorld, the oldest business newspaper in the Philippines.

We talked about energy and climate reporting, finding the right stories to focus on, the main job of a science journalist, writing for an international audience, and more.

This episode features Jean Utzurrum, a marine biologist with field research experience in coral reef restoration, coral reef and mesophotic fishes, and fisheries. She has volunteered with Reef Check Philippines and the World Wildlife Fund, and also served as an elasmobranch specialist for the Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines.

We talked about the search for a blue whale in the Philippines, the Dumaguete land reclamation project, policies for Philippine environment conservation, ways to improve how the government protects our natural resources, the realities of being a scientist in the Philippines, and more.

This episode features Albert Yumol, a full-stack data scientist and machine learning engineer specializing in data architecture, analytics, and ethics.  He is well-versed in supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms for industry and research applications.  On the side, he teaches data science in a bootcamp company called Eskwelabs and spearheads a curriculum on data ethics and human-centered design.

We talked about how the Philippines compares to the rest of the world when it comes to A.I., if A.I. can ever replace human beings, the biggest challenges holding the Philippines back when it comes to technological development, the concept of developing technology for social good, the future of technological advancement in the Philippines, and more.

This episode features Kier Mitchel Pitogo, a wildlife biologist at the Protected Area Management Office of the Allah Valley Watershed Forest Reserve. In 2021, he rediscovered a Philippine frog that had been lost to science for 28 years. He also co-authored the first extensive herpetological survey conducted in southern Mindanao.

We talked about the story of rediscovering Guttman’s stream frog, finding a rare species of critically endangered orchid, the process of putting together his pioneering study on Mindanao wildlife, why it’s important to keep studying the Philippines’ biodiversity, the challenges that Pinoy wildlife biologists experience in the field, and more.

This episode features Jason Tan Liwag, a molecular biologist, theater and film actor, and writer. He is the Founder and President of Queer Scientists PH and the President of Cine Crítico Filipino.

We talked about falling in love with science through Pokémon, balancing hobbies and passion projects as a scientist, the lessons that science can gain from art and vice versa, the myth of the “boring” scientist, the Queer Scientists PH initiative, and more.

This episode features Dr. Rey Ordonio, a plant molecular geneticist from the Philippine Rice Research Institute. He is also the head of the Healthier Rice Project at DA-PhilRice. He was named as one of the Philippines’ Outstanding Young Scientists for 2021.

We talked about GMOs, the science behind the development of Golden Rice, fears and misconceptions about GMOs, the future of GMOs in the Philippines, and more.