Organizer: Sulo: The Philippine Studies Initiative at NYU; The Association of Filipino Scientists in America

Type/Location: In Person / New York, NY

Description:

Sulo: The Philippine Studies Initiative at NYU and the Association of Filipino Scientists in America, in collaboration with New York Southeast Asia Network (NYSEAN) and NYU Espacio de Culturas, invite you to Pagkilala: Honoring the Heritage and Impact of Filipino Scientists.

Join us for a night of science, food, culture, and celebration. The program includes a keynote speech, a panel discussion, cultural performances, and a social hour.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

About the Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Christian Gloria–born and raised in Valenzuela, Metro Manila–is an Associate Professor and Deputy Chair of the Department of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. He studies the protective and resilience factors that enable people to adapt, grow, and thrive against chronic stress and adversity. His recent research is focused on the health and well-being of Filipino communities in the US, in the Philippines, and around the world. For the last decade, Dr. Gloria serves as a Technical Evaluator and Visiting Scientist for the Brain and Mental Health Programs of the Philippine Council for Health Research & Development and the Department of Science & Technology. He is a member of the National Research Council of the Philippines, and frequently serves as a Visiting Professor for various universities including Angeles University Foundation, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, Silliman University, University of San Agustin, University of the Assumption, and the University of the Philippines. Before relocating to New York City in 2021, Dr. Gloria was the Department Chair and Associate Professor of Public Health at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu, as well as President of the Hawaii Public Health Association. With over 20 years of experience, he has planned, implemented, and evaluated public health programs and research projects with community health centers, hospitals, NGOs, government agencies, private/corporate institutions, and school systems. He earned his BS in Kinesiology, MA in Health Education, and PhD in Health Behavior from The University of Texas at Austin. Most importantly, Dr. Gloria’s favorite Filipino foods are pancit bihon, sinigang na hipon, daing na bangus, and longsilog.

About the Panelists:

Born and raised in Queens, New York, Fatimah Mamalapat Coppin is a second-year medical student at the CUNY School of Medicine. Her academic and research interests lie at the intersection of computational neuroscience and neurosurgery. Her research experience spans human intracranial electrophysiology, neuroimaging, connectomics, and computational neural networks. Her scientific journey began at the Northwell Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, where she investigated neural dynamics in murine models using electrophysiological and neuroimaging techniques. She later expanded her research interests through work with the NYU Langone Health and Lenox Hill Hospital Departments of Neurosurgery, where she bridges computational neuroscience with clinical applications. She currently studies alterations in brain connectivity in patients with glioma, aiming to develop targeted biomarkers and novel therapeutic approaches to improve patient outcomes. As a Black and Bangsamoro Filipina, Fatimah is passionate about encouraging students to pursue ambitious careers without losing sight of their communities and identities. She is particularly committed to mentorship, leadership, and increasing representation in medicine, having served as Research Co-Chair for the Council of Young Filipinx/a/o Americans in Medicine (CYFAM) and Historian for the CCNY Philippine American Organization. Beyond research, Fatimah is a former NCAA Division III collegiate volleyball captain and student-athlete, and she hopes to continue bringing together her interests in science, athletics, mentorship, and community engagement throughout her journey in medicine.

Andrian “Adi” Gajigan is a Cornell Atkinson Postdoctoral Fellow at Cornell University and a Balik Scientist at the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute. A biochemist and oceanographer by training, he specializes in marine virology, disease ecology, and biological oceanography. His work bridges molecular-scale processes and ocean-scale patterns, examining how marine microbes, from viruses and bacteria to phytoplankton, influence the health of marine plants and animals. Through this lens, he contributes to a One Health understanding of how ocean ecosystems sustain planetary health. He has participated in research expeditions across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Beyond research, he is passionate about democratizing science and advancing community-driven initiatives.

Jaimee-Ian Rodriguez is a Commissioning Editor in the STEM publishing industry. Prior to publishing, Jaimee participated in research projects in the fields of astrophysics and science history, with the latter focusing on the intersection of natural history research and colonization in the early 20th century Philippines. He also has experience as a science writer and as an advocate for community science.

Michelle Saoi, PhD, is a Senior Scientist in the Proteomics and Metabolomics Core Facility at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. In her role, Michelle works closely with researchers to design and execute metabolomics studies aimed at answering a wide range of biological questions. Her work involves the application of mass spectrometry-based approaches to characterize small molecules and lipids in biological systems. Michelle earned her B.Sc. in Chemistry from McMaster University in 2013 and her PhD in Chemical Biology from McMaster University in 2019 under the supervision of Dr. Philip Britz-McKibbin. Born and raised in Canada to Filipino immigrant parents, Michelle is passionate about representation and mentorship for Filipinos and other underrepresented communities in STEM. She looks forward to sharing her experiences as a Filipino scientist, her career journey from Canada to the United States, and the importance of mentorship and representation in building a more inclusive scientific community.

Registration:

To attend the event in person, please register here.