'Women in Science'

MANILA, Philippines - More than enhancing physical beauty, L’Oreal Philippines is boosting the role of Filipino women in the intellectual arena. The company believes that science is the enabler of progress and that women have an essential role to play to bring about progress.

To celebrate the work of women scientists, L’Oreal Philippines and UNESCO renew their joint commitment in promoting scientific careers and recognizing outstanding women scientists through For Women In Science (FWIS).

The company is proud to announce the second batch of L’Oreal FWIS National Fellows — Dr. Ma. Cecilia Conaco and Dr. Aletta Yñiguez. After a grueling judging process headed by the first Filipino FWIS ASEAN laureate, Prof. Lourdes Cruz, both women stood out among the rest and were awarded P400,000 each to aid their research.

Dr. Ma. Cecilia Conaco, a 34-year-old Balik Scientist, is a post-doctoral researcher at the Neuroscience Research Institute of the University of California, where she is also a recipient of the Excellence in Neuroscience Research Award. She received the FWIS National Fellowship grant for her research proposal entitled Dynamic Gene Regulation in Marine Sponges, which aims to identify novel sponge genes and the mechanisms that allow the organism to monitor and adapt to its environment.

Dr. Aletta Yñiguez is a 33-year-old assistant professor at the Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines. She received the FWIS National Fellowship grant for her research proposal entitled Enhancing Robustness of Plankton Models and Monitoring Systems by Understanding Fine-scale Biophysical Processes. This project intends to better understand how primary producers in the marine environment shift and contribute to the fisheries or turn into toxic blooms.

(To know more about FWIS National Fellowships–Philippines, call 893-5642 loc. 136 or log on to www.fwis.com.ph or e-mail the FWIS secretariat at fwissecretariat@eon.com.ph.)