Where are you from and what do you enjoy most about your hometown?
I was born in Cebu, a small island in the Philippines, but I spent half of each year in Los Angeles, so my childhood consisted of experiencing the best of both worlds. I love the food and people in my hometown Cebu; growing up with the world’s best lechon (roasted pig) is phenomenal, and Filipino food variety created my diverse palate. I also loved the chill island lifestyle with the best beaches in the world. In L.A. I love the versatility – you can go skiing in the mountains, and swimming under the sun all in one day, and of course the diverse restaurant scene.
What is your research focused on?
My research focuses on investigating the mechanisms behind the aging brain with a focus on the vasculature and apoptosis. The vasculature is critical to the function of all of our organs in the body and it is crucial in the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. In my research, I use a multitude of techniques including human iPSCs to model the vasculature. My work also focuses on the apoptotic cell death pathway, looking at potential therapeutic targets to prevent the onset of age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
What is your favorite part of your research?
My favorite part about my research is that there is never a day where there is no challenging question being presented. This allows me to interact with a variety of scientists to help elevate my research. I enjoy talking about the million avenues of possibilities to make my work ten times better than what I thought it could be. Additionally, I love mentoring students. I currently mentor a Harvard undergraduate who built her scientific skills with me and has successfully written a senior thesis.
How do you relax when you’re not working?
I am a foodie and generate content for my foodie IG account, and I make sure to exercise to get rid of stress (it’s a vicious cycle I can’t escape). I also love hosting parties and welcoming people in general, so you can usually find me organizing onesie, Halloween, hot chocolate parties, and more. I also have fun with my peers across Harvard through my work as a Student Center Fellow at GSAS. I love having fun, life is too short to have science dominate 24/7.
Tell us about an activity outside of lab you’re involved in and why it’s important to you
I serve in many student leadership roles across Harvard. Notably, I am the President of the Harvard Graduate Women in Science and Engineering where I lead a to help foster a sense of belonging, build confidence, and promote diversity for women and other underrepresented minorities in science. For example, we have led one of the largest mentorship programs currently running at Harvard to date, and have interacted with the U.S. Department of State to host female STEM world leaders from over 20 countries.
