Young Filipino scientists vie for Novartis Int'l BioCamp

MANILA, Philippines - Promising graduate and postgraduate students in the natural sciences are vying for the chance to represent the Philippines in the prestigious Novartis Biotechnology Leadership Camp (BioCamp).

The International BioCamp will be held from Aug. 29 to 31 at the Novartis international headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.

International BioCamp delegates are selected through Local BioCamps organized by Novartis in the 140 countries where it operates.

To qualify for the 2011 International BioCamp, students registered for the Local BioCamp, which was held last July 11 at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Conference Center in Makati City.

As in previous Local BioCamps, this year’s biotech workshop featured a distinguished panel consisting of the country’s leading experts in biotechnology. This year’s panel included Sen. Edgardo Angara; Dr. Jaime Montoya, executive director of the Philippine Council of Health Research and Development (PCHRD); National Scientist Dr. Ernesto Domingo; Dr. Cynthia Saloma, deputy director of the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Diliman; lawyer Andrew Michael Ong, deputy director general of Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IP Philippines); professor Maoi Arroyo, founder and CEO of Hybridigm Consulting Inc.; and Dr. Rey Garcia, director of the Technology Licensing Office, Office of the Vice President for Development, and professor of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

At the end of the Local BioCamp, a student was selected to represent the Philippines in the International BioCamp. Selection was based on academic excellence and professional focus. Novartis will shoulder all travel and accommodation expenses of the selected student.

In the Philippines, Novartis works with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in organizing the Local BioCamp. Other Local BioCamp partners are IP Philippines and Hybridigm Consulting, the country’s first biotechnology consulting firm.

The International BioCamp is a pioneering biotechnology seminar organized by Novartis, a research-based Swiss health care company, for entrepreneurial, postgraduate students in the natural sciences who are interested in pursuing a career in biotechnology.

Int’l BioCamp

The 2011 International BioCamp will gather 60 students from top universities around the world. The participants get an opportunity to:

• Interact with key Novartis scientists who lead the company’s unique approach to drug discovery;

• Learn about breakthrough new medicine to address patients’ unmet medical needs;

• Understand trends and challenges in the biotechnology sector;

• Receive first-hand experience about starting and running a biotech company;

• Explore career opportunities in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, and

• Network with talented students from other countries.

Day One of the International BioCamp will focus on biotechnology and global trends, Day Two on developing a biotechnology product, and Day Three on career opportunities in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

“Novartis conducts annual Local BioCamps to develop local scientists and, ultimately, improve the quality of Philippine health care. We also believe that in this age of globalization, ensuring the country’s competitiveness in science and technology is crucial for economic growth and national progress,” said Thomas Weigold, country president of Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

“Investing in science and technology is a must if our country is to remain globally competitive and achieve economic growth. We laud Novartis for its commitment to develop the country’s next generation of scientists and biotech entrepreneurs,” said Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo.

In 2006, Dennis Bela-Ong, currently taking up a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of the Philippines (UP) Los Baños, and Frances Vega, who holds a M.S. in Chemistry and M.A. in Political Science (Major in Global Politics/International Relations) from the Ateneo de Manila University, represented the Philippines in the International BioCamp in Singapore.

In 2007, Michael Bahrami Hessari, a cum laude graduate of B.S. Microbiology from the University of Santo Tomas, and Carla Bianca Victorio, a magna cum laude graduate of B.S. in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from UP Diliman, were chosen to represent the Philippines in the International BioCamp in Tokyo, Japan.

In 2008, Jun Ryan Orbina, a Masters in Public Health student from UP Manila, and Christina Leyson, a Masters in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology student from UP Diliman, were chosen to represent the country in the International BioCamp in Hong Kong.

In 2009, Janill Magano, a 21-year-old second year academic scholar at the Far Eastern University-Dr. Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation, and Kellsye Fabian, a 22-year-old Molecular Biology instructor at UP Diliman, represented the country in the International BioCamp in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In 2010, Carlo Castillo, who is currently taking up Master of Science in Molecular Medicine at St. Luke’s College of Medicine, and Karen Rosal, who completed her Master in Molecular Biology at Okayama University in Japan, represented the Philippines in the International BioCamp in Basel, Switzerland. Rosal is a B.S. Biology Major in Genetics graduate of UP while Castillo graduated magna cum laude from the UP with a B.S. in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.