Ilongga scientist and UP Visayas alumna leads UPD College of Science

By Eunice Jean C. Patron

As the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) enters a new era driven by guidance and innovation, one of the country’s leading molecular biologists now takes the helm to steer the college towards excellence.

“Mentorship is the heartbeat of academic excellence,” said Dr. Cynthia Palmes Saloma of the UPD-CS National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB), who was recently affirmed as the new Dean of the College last October 20. “It is through your guidance that our students will develop the vision and the resilience to tackle the unknown.”

In her affirmation address, Dr. Saloma emphasized that beyond supervision, students of UPD-CS should also receive transformative mentorship from the faculty. During her term, she committed to ensuring that the College continues to support its faculty as mentors by cultivating an environment where students are supported, empowered, and equipped to become future leaders.

“The Philippines faces complex challenges and opportunities, all of which demand a robust pipeline of homegrown, world-class experts,” Dr. Saloma added, highlighting that investing in students’ development is also an investment in the country’s capacity to lead, compete, and innovate at a global level.

The new Dean also highlighted the College’s commitment to harness innovative research and collaboration to tackle head-on the challenges the Philippines faces—from climate change and food security to global health.

Sustaining research excellence

To make the College’s commitments possible, Dr. Saloma noted that a fundamental issue must be addressed—sustainable support. She reminded the UPD-CS community of how funding can make a difference in advancing scientific projects:

“No matter how brilliant an idea is, without a well-equipped lab, it remains a pipe dream—a project deferred. A promising student or researcher without adequate funding is potential left untapped,” underscored Dr. Saloma “We are thankful for the grants we receive for certain projects, but we face a critical gap in the foundational funding that keeps our lights on, our equipment running, and our facilities safe and modern. This is the lifeblood of our daily operations.”

She pledged that a key focus of her deanship will be to build partnerships with various sectors—from the UP administration and UPD-CS alumni to industry partners, and both private and government agencies. “It is investing in the very infrastructure of innovation and mentorship in our country,” she added.

Dr. Saloma is the 8th Dean of UPD-CS. She is one of the founding members of the Philippine Genome Center and served as its Executive Director from 2018 to 2023. She also served as Director of NIMBB from 2012 to 2018. Dr. Saloma is the Principal Investigator at the Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology (LMCB) of NIMBB, which focuses on gene function in development.

Dean Saloma will be supported by the College Executive Board composed of Dr. Manuel Joseph C. Loquias (Academic Affairs), Dr. Betchaida D. Payot (Research and Extension), Dr. Allan Christopher C. Yago (Facilities and Resources), Dr. Leilani G. Sumabat-Dacones (Student and Public Affairs), Dr. Marie Christine M. Obusan (College Secretary) and Dr. Rheadel G. Fulgencio (Assistant College Secretary), along with program and center directors Dr. Johnrob Y. Bantang (Computational Science Research Center), Dr. Lerrie Ann D.G. Ipulan-Colet (Science and Society Program), Dr. Marienette M. Vega (Material Science and Engineering Program), Dr. Rachelle R. Sambayan (Data Science Program), Dr. William Patrick C. Buhian (NSTP Coordinator), and Dr. Wilfred John E. Santiañez (Graduate Program Coordinator).