Ask Theory

Dr. Renzo Guinto is the Chief Planetary Health Scientist and Co-Founder of the newly established Sunway Centre for Planetary Health in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Concurrently, he is the Associate Professor of the Practice of Global Public Health and Inaugural Director of the Planetary and Global Health Program of the St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine in the Philippines. He is also a member of the National Panel of Technical Experts of the Climate Change Commission of the Philippines, and convener of Planetary Health Philippines, a community of Filipino scholars and practitioners for advancing the new discipline of planetary health.

We talked about the definition and significance of planetary health, the ways in which climate change affects human health, the link between the COVID-19 pandemic and planetary health, the need for the decolonization of science, what lies ahead for planetary health and the future of humanity, and more.

How to contact Dr. Renzo:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/renzoguinto

Twitter: @renzoguinto

Website: planetaryhealth.ph

Denise Salvador Janer is a marine geologist who works as a researcher in the UP Marine Science Institute. She has been involved in research expeditions in the West Philippine Sea and Philippine Rise to discover paleo-sea level rise events that happened thousands of years ago and their role in the evolution of marine ecosystems.

We talked about visiting and studying the West Philippine Sea and Benham Rise, why the Philippines must study and protect its own waters, the best and worst things about being a marine scientist, the challenges that make it tough to be a Pinoy scientist, why being a scientist in the Philippines is a worthwhile pursuit, and more.

How to contact Denise:

Facebook: fb.com/dfsjaner

Twitter: @dfsjaner

Instagram: @dfsjaner

Email: [email protected]

Dr. William Buhian is a plant biologist with a particular interest in plant-microbe interactions. He completed his PhD at the University of Toulouse (FR) in 2021, focusing on rhizobia-legume symbiosis.

We talked about the phenomenon called rhizobia-legume symbiosis, how plants experience stress, the meaning of plant blindness, conducting research that serves the people, tips for science students who plan to enter graduate school, and more.

How to contact Dr. William:

Twitter: @wbuhian

Email: [email protected]

Dr. Criselle Peñamante is a physician-scientist interested in the field of behavioral epidemiology. She is a faculty member of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, and Department of Medical Biology at the University of Sto. Tomas. An active global clinical researcher conducting studies and collaborating with fellow clinical researchers across the globe, she is also a Research Fellow on Climate Change and Mental Health at the Planetary and Global Health Program of St. Luke's Medical Center College of Medicine - William H. Quasha Memorial.

We talked about being a physician-scientist as an alternative career path for medical doctors, her experiences regarding teaching college students online, the opportunities and challenges that come with being a global clinical research scholar, the field of behavioral epidemiology, the link between climate change and mental health, and more.

How to contact Dr. Criselle:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/criselle-angeline-peñamante-500371154

Facebook: fb.com/Criselllllllle

Twitter: @criselllllllle

Email: [email protected]

Archie Veloria is a Supervising Science Research Specialist under the PhilSA's Earth Sciences Space Mission Studies Division. His research revolves around satellite remote sensing of the environment, extreme weather monitoring and forecasting, and rainfall climatology.

We talked about space science and technology applications within the Philippine context, how satellites contribute to understanding weather and climate systems, how we use satellites to monitor air pollution, why there is a need for science-based environmental solutions and policies, the state of Philippine space science in the next ten years, and more.

How to contact Archie:

Email: [email protected]

Website: linktr.ee.philspaceagency

Franklin Cercado is a licensed geologist and scuba diver. He works for the Iloilo Provincial Government in the Environment and Natural Resources Office, and is taking a masters' degree in Biology in U.P. Visayas.

We talked about striking a balance between economic needs and environmental preservation, interdisciplinary and interregional cooperation in tackling environmental concerns, insightful stories related to environmental management and sustainability, brain drain in the Philippines, and more.

How to contact Franklin:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 09158028432

Dr. Buddy Omar is a clinical fellow in neuro-oncology at the University of Toronto, and is taking his Masters of Science in Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. After his time in the PGH Neurosurgery Residency program, he pursued further training in endoscopic skull base surgery at the University of Calgary.

We talked about the disparities in neurosurgery across the world, improving surgical outcomes in the Philippines, the role of social determinants of health in brain tumor survivorship, clinical research in low-income settings, training to be a brain surgeon in the Philippines, and more.

How to contact Dr. Buddy:

Twitter: @atomar_md

Email: [email protected]

Dr. Rodney Perez is a senior researcher at the National Institute for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. His research work is focused on the elucidation of the biosynthetic mechanism, mode of action, and the application of antimicrobial peptides (bacteriocins) from lactic acid bacteria. In 2021, he became the first Filipino to be given the Young Asian Biotechnologist Prize by the Society for Biotechnology, Japan.

We talked about what bacteriocins are and why scientists study them, the Philippines’ problem regarding antibiotic contamination in food, why people tend to overuse antibiotics, the consequences of overusing antibiotics, when we should use antibiotics, and more.

How to contact Dr. Rodney:

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: fb.com/rodney.perez

Diovanie de Jesus is a Campaign and Science Specialist at Oceana Philippines. He worked as a research associate at the Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines.  His previous research work experience enabled him to conduct studies about coral reef ecosystems, help with the management of the Philippines’ Marine Protected Areas, and assist in the plans for the Coral Triangle Initiative.

We talked about science-based oceans management in the Philippines, his experiences as a marine scientist, his lockdown experiment that went viral on social media, simple ways ordinary citizens can contribute to saving our oceans, and more.

How to contact Diovanie:

Facebook: fb.com/diuvs.dejesus

Instagram: @jojo_powerranger

Jovannemar Anire is a Masters student at Wageningen University who specializes in plant breeding and genetic resources. He worked as a faculty researcher at Visayas State University, where he headed the Varietal Improvement Section of the National Coconut Research Center - Visayas.

We talked about some of the basics of plant breeding, some little-known things about coconuts, the science behind macapuno, the importance of plant biotechnology in the Philippines, the GMO debate, and more.

How to contact Jovannemar:

Facebook: fb.com/jo.van.mar27

Email: [email protected]