(SPOT.ph) A molecular biology research about malaria may sound like a mouthful, but Filipina scientist Sophia Raine C. Hernandez made it look easy during a four-minute presentation at Sweden's Forskar Grand Prix (or Researchers' Grand Prix) on November 25 in Stockhom. And for that, she bagged the second prize in the competition's final heat.
Meet Filipina Scientist Sophia Raine C. Hernandez
Currently a Ph.D. student at the Umeå University in Sweden, Hernandez specializes in microbiology and parasitology. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology with cum laude distinction from the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. Her undergraduate thesis was about the sex-specific immune response of mice to immunization with malaria proteins under the mentorship of Dr. Denise Noelle Mirano-Bascos.
Her winning presentation at the Grand Prix titled "Plasmodium’s Kryptonite: Developing Tools to Study Essential Genes in Plasmodium" started with a story on how she dreamed of becoming a superhero as a child. She became a scientist instead, which is pretty much the same, except the villains are bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. In Hernandez' hero's journey, she is the scientist-superhero battling the parasite Plasmodium, which causes malaria. And her weapon of choice? An in-depth knowledge of the parasite's biology, which can later provide her with the best way to target it. This engaging presentation awed the judges of Forskar Grand Prix, which is described as “a competition in which researchers in Sweden compete to find out who is best at presenting their research in just four minutes,” according to the website.
“The Researchers’ Grand Prix showcases how to explain complicated subjects in a simple way, whilst highlighting the importance of dialogue between researchers and other parts of society and ensuring that research benefits society,” Maria Thuveson, Executive Director at the Swedish Research Council, said during the awarding.
The Grand Prix has been running annually since 2012. The final round was held in front of a public audience and expert jury, whose votes were combined to decide the winner. All finalists qualified for the final via regional heats or through national online heats.
Aside from Hernandez, there was another Filipina scientist among the seven-member final roster. Dr. Richelle Duque Björvang, who qualified through the digital round, presented her study "Fewer Kids: Not Always By Choice." It highlights the link between chemicals and fertility in women, which hopes to create safe spaces and better regulations for women's choices.
Like Hernandez, Duque-Björvang graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from UP Diliman. She completed her Doctor of Medicine degree at UP Manila in 2012 and her Masters in Medical Science at Uppsala University in Sweden in 2016. The physician-scientist is currently completing her Ph.D. studies at Karolinska Institute in Solna.
You can catch their presentations here:
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