Dr. Rody Sy as 2019 NAST Academician, Dr. Raymond Sarmiento and Dr. Nathaniel Orillaza as 2019 NAST Outstanding Young Scientists. July 31, 2019 — Three physicians of the Philippine General Hospital were conferred their respective awards by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) during a program that capped the NAST 41st Annual Scientific Meeting held on July 10-11, 2019. One of the awardees was Dr. Rody G. Sy, former chair of the PGH Department of Medicine who was conferred the rank and title of Academician in the field of Cardiology/Internal Medicine. He joins a distinguished list of 58 other NAST Academicians conferred their titles in different years and in different fields. Dr. Sy was recognized for his pioneering work on cardiogenomics which contributed to an understanding of the genetic basis of cardiovascular conditions among Filipinos, including genetic variants associated with drug tolerability and treatment response. His extensive research on epidemiology highlighted the clinical importance of risk factors in heart disease, one of the country’s top killers. The Nationwide Survey on Cardiovascular Risk Factors, which he initiated, has become a regular component of the National Nutrition and Health Survey of the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute, which in turn, has become the basis of the cardiovascular program of the Department of Health and the crux of treatment guidelines of Philippine medical societies. As a global and national leader in the field of lipidology, he has spearheaded numerous research works on lipids and related topics. As a research fellow of the New York Heart Association and Rockefeller Foundation, he contributed immensely to diagnostic exercise electrocardiography which became the basis for the current exercise stress testing. The other two awardees were Dr. Raymond Francis Sarmiento and Dr. Nathaniel S. Orillaza, Jr. who were conferred the Outstanding Young Scientist Award in Public Health Informatics and Orthopedics, respectively. Dr. Sarmiento, director of the UP Manila National Telehealth Center, was honored for his notable contributions in the field of biomedical and health informatics that have improved the welfare of Filipinos. His leadership and excellence have made him a role model and mentor to others and has put him in a unique position to help improve the Philippine health care system. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical informatics from 2012-2014 at the Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications, National Library of Medicine at the U.S. National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He returned to the Philippines in 2016 as a Balik (Returning) Scientist of the Department of Science and Technology. Upon returning, he became heavily involved in health data science and health information systems interoperability work.
Dr. Orillaza was recognized for his outstanding research contributions directed towards better comprehension of the hand and upper extremity and the different conditions that compromise their functions. He has evaluated different methods of surgical repair and reconstruction of bone and soft tissues in order to help patients return to full function. He has provided opportunities for Filipinos to be actively involved in the evaluation and management of their upper limb disabilities from different causes. His active involvement in scientific and educational programs continues to enhance basic and clinical knowledge of hand and upper extremity concerns in the country. Published in UP Manila Healthscape July – August 2019
