BS Biology students venture into Mt. Pulag Protected Landscape for their Terrestrial Communities course
LOOK: BS Biology students venture into the breathtaking Mt. Pulag Protected Landscape for their Terrestrial Communities (Bio 162) course last September 28, 2024. Mt. Pulag is the highest peak in Luzon with an elevation of ~2,922 masl and is considered to be a biodiversity hotspot. Exploring the unique ecological zones—from the dense pine forest to the lush lower and upper montane forests, and the vast grasslands at the summit—students dive into hands-on learning about the rich biodiversity and complex interactions within these ecosystems. This fieldwork experience brings textbook concepts to life as they observe flora and fauna in their natural habitats and reflect on the importance of conserving these unique landscapes. Photos taken by Assoc. Prof. Liezel Magtoto We support the Sustainable Development GoalsSDG-4 (Quality Education); SDG-15 (Life on Land)
HAPPY WORLD TEACHER’S DAY from the DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY
The Department of Biology, UP Baguio warmly celebrates World Teachers’ Day. We honor and stand with scientists, researchers, and academics across the country who dedicate their careers to honing the future leaders of our nation and advancing science for the betterment of the lives of the communities that we serve. Mabuhay ang sangka-guruan ng Kolehiyo ng Agham at UP Baguio! Happy World Teachers’ Day! We support the Sustainable Development GoalsSDG-4 (Quality Education); SDG-8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
UP Baguio SHEStem Scholarship Awardee featured in VOGUE Philippines
Our very own Ms. Sophia Rhys Q. Bañados, a 3rd-year BS Biology student, has been featured in Vogue Philippines! In the article, Ms. Bañados shares her passion for neuroscience, as she forges her path in a field traditionally dominated by men. As she puts it, “Following her heart, she chose to pursue the path of a neuroscientist, working to understand the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and nerve cells. She dreams of pioneering a breakthrough in brain function.” Ms. Bañados is the first UP Baguio student to receive the SHEStems Scholarship Award as part of the inaugural cohort for SY 2024-2025. Additionally, Ms. Bañados is among the 10 scholars selected for this prestigious program nationwide. The SHEStems Scholarship Awards is a project of UN Women Philippines National Goodwill Ambassador Karen Davila. UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to pushing for gender equality and the empowerment of women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in the country. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. Sophia’s vision to push the boundaries of science makes her an inspiration for aspiring young scientists everywhere. Check the article here: https://vogue.ph/lifestyle/advocacy/10-filipina-shestems-scholarship-awardees/ We support the Sustainable Development GoalsSDG-4 (Quality Education); SDG-5 (Gender Equality); SDG-10 (Reduced Inequalities)
Asst. Professor Soriano is the new Department Chair!
The Department of Biology, College of Science, UP Baguio is proud to announce the appointment of Asst. Prof. Deign Frolley C. Soriano, MSc as the new chair of the department. Asst. Prof. Soriano earned his BS Biology degree from the University of the Philippines Baguio in 2016, where he focused on an undergraduate research project examining the identification and distribution patterns of earthworms in selected sites in Abra and Ifugao, Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. In 2022, he obtained his MSc in Environmental Management from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, supported by the Chevening Scholarship programme. Staying true to his roots, he conducted his master’s research dissertation on assessing the ecological quality of the Abra River watershed in Northern Luzon, Philippines, using the Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI) Model. During his time at UP Baguio, Asst. Prof. Soriano actively participated in numerous research projects, ranging from biodiversity assessments in urban forests and island ecosystems to aquatic ecosystems across Northern Luzon and the Cordillera Administrative Region. In addition to his academic record and research endeavors, Asst. Prof. Soriano is involved in various organizations and public service initiatives, particularly focusing on environmental conservation and sustainable development. He was a Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Academic Fellow in the Global Environmental Issues and Natural Resource Management program at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center, University of Montana. His dedication to research earned him the distinction of becoming a grand finalist for the EWC Earth Optimism Awards for Southeast Asia in 2020 in the Research and Discovery category. In 2021, he was selected as a NextGen Leadership Program Fellow by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation – Transformative Leadership Institute. Asst. Prof. Soriano has held various committee assignments at both the college and university levels and served as the Student Relations Officer at UP Baguio from 2023 to 2024. He also actively contributes to the welfare and well-being of the academic community as a member and officer of the All UP Academic Employees Union – Baguio Chapter. We wish you a successful stint as the new chair of the department, Sir Deign! Agbiag, Department of Biology! Agbiag, College of Science! We support the Sustainable Development GoalsSDG-4 (Quality Education); SDG-8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
Student secures 2nd Place in the 2024 PNHRS Research Poster Contest!
🎉 Congratulations to Mr. Adrian Raizen Tolentino for securing 2nd Place in the 2024 PNHRS Research Poster Contest! 🏆 His undergraduate thesis, together with Ms. Princess Rudelle Fajardo and Ms. Abe Gayle Santos, entitled: “Neuroprotective Potential of Lactobacillus plantarum against Acute Bisphenol A (BPA) Toxicity Affecting Dopamine and Serotonin-Regulated Locomotion of Caenorhabditis elegans,” earned them a certificate of recognition and a cash prize of 15,000 PhP. Immense gratitude is extended to Asst. Prof. Pablo V. Serrano from UP Baguio’s Department of Biology for his mentorship. 🧬💯 We support the Sustainable Development GoalsSDG-3 (Good Health and Well-being); SDG-15 (Life on Land)
New paper out entitled “Bulbophyllum bokodense (section Polymeres, Orchidaceae), a new species from Benguet Province, Luzon Island, Philippines”
New Paper Out! Congratulations, Assoc. Prof. Liezel Magtoto, PhD and former faculty members of the department for their new paper entitled: Bulbophyllum bokodense (section Polymeres, Orchidaceae), a new species from Benguet Province, Luzon Island, Philippines. The newly discovered and characterized species of orchid is named after the Municipality of Bokod, Benguet Province, Philippines, where it was discovered. This paper was a collaboration among scientists from the Department of Biology, UP Baguio, Texas Christian University, and the Philippine Taxonomic Initiative, Inc. Access the paper here: 10.11646/phytotaxa.662.2.7 We support the Sustainable Development GoalsSDG-15 (Life on Land)
Students’ undergraduate research work chosen as a Finalist for the 2024 PNHRS Research Poster Contest
The Department of Biology is proud to announce that the undergraduate research work of Ms. Princess Rudelle Fajardo, Ms. Abe Gayle Santos, and Mr. Adrian Raizen Tolentino has been chosen as a Finalist for the 2024 PNHRS Research Poster Contest organized by the DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) and Caraga Health Research and Development Consortium (CHRDC). Mr. Tolentino will be presenting their undergraduate thesis entitled “Neuroprotective Potential of Lactobacillus plantarum against Acute Bisphenol A (BPA) Toxicity Affecting Dopamine and Serotonin-regulated Locomotion of Caenorhabditis elegans,” under the supervision of Asst. Prof. Pablo V. Serrano from the Department of Biology, UP Baguio. Congratulations and best of talent! We support the Sustainable Development GoalsSDG-3 (Good Health and Well-being); SDG-15 (Life on Land)
Students present their poster at International Symposium & 41st Annual Meeting of the ASBP
A heartfelt recognition to the dedicated team from the Department of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Baguio for their exceptional contributions to the International Symposium & 41st Annual Meeting of the Association of Systematic Biologists of the Philippines (ASBP), held last May 29-31, 2024, at Northwestern University, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. Congratulations to Mark P. Villarubia (presenter and graduating student of the BS Biology program (Area of Concentration: Ecology and Systematics), Sophia Reign M. Guerrero, Bianca Gail Y. Cura, and Arvin Jet B. Marcaida, PhD (Thesis Adviser and Assistant Professor of Biology, College of Science, UP Baguio) for their insightful poster presentation titled “A Preliminary Assessment of Species Account, Conservation Status, and Microhabitat Association of Anurans with New Locality Descriptions in Baguio City.” Congratulations as well to student presenters Chantal Margaret Liporada, Dominique Opel Orgas, Sofia Ysabel Dang-aoen, and Frances Randolf Logan, and their thesis adviser Assoc. Prof. Liezel M. Magtoto, PhD, for their poster presentation entitled “Macrofungi in Montane Pine Forests in Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet.” In addition, we are thrilled to recognize Ms. Chantal Margaret Liporada for being awarded the Best Illustration in the Botanical Illustration Workshop with Amorphophallus adamsensis (which is a species endemic to the Philippines and discovered and characterized by Assoc. Prof. Magtoto and department colleagues) as model specimen for the workshop. We are proud of your achievements and the significant impact of your research on the scientific community. We support the Sustainable Development GoalsSDG-4 (Quality Education); SDG-13 (Climate Action); SDG-15 (Life on Land)
BS Biology student wins 1st place at the 12th CRHRDC Regional Health Conference!
Congratulations to Adrian Raizen S. Tolentino, graduating student of the BS Biology program (Area of Concentration: Microbiology) from the Department of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Baguio, for his achievement at the 12th CRHRDC (Cordillera Regional Health Research and Development Consortium) Regional Health Conference! Adrian’s poster presentation in the Student Category, titled “Neuroprotective Potential of Lactobacillus plantarum against Acute Bisphenol A (BPA) Toxicity Affecting Dopamine and Serotonin-regulated Locomotion of Caenorhabditis elegans,” was awarded 1st place! We are incredibly proud of your accomplishments and your significant contribution to the field, Adrian! We support the Sustainable Development GoalsSDG-4 (Quality Education); SDG-15 (Life on Land)
Assistant Professor wins 1st place during the 12th CRHRDC Regional Health Conference
Congratulations to Asst. Prof. Pablo V. Serrano, MSc, from the Department of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Baguio for his achievement at the 12th CRHRDC (Cordillera Regional Health Research and Development Consortium) Regional Health Conference! 🌟 Asst. Prof. Serrano’s podium presentation in the Professional Category on “Serotonin Mediates the Effects of Areca Catechu (Betelnut) Extract on Caenorhabditis elegans‘ General Movement” earned 1st place. 🧬📚 We are incredibly proud of your accomplishments and your valuable contributions to the field, Asst. Prof. Serrano! 🎓✨ We support the Sustainable Development GoalsSDG-3 (Health and Well-being); SDG-4 (Quality Education); SDG-15 (Life on Land)