Dr. Ourlad Alzeus Tantengco, a postdoctoral research fellow of the UP College of Medicine (UPCM) Department of Physiology, was conferred the National Academy of Science and Technology’s (NAST) 2023 Outstanding Young Scientist (OYS) Award together with other NAST awardees, during the second day of its Annual Scientific Meeting held on July 13, 2023.

Dr. Tantengco finished his MD-PhD in Molecular Medicine at the UPCM. His research extends to clinical and epidemiologic studies in infectious and tropical diseases, as well as women’s health. His research expertise lies in cellular and molecular research related to pregnancy and parturition. His innovative contributions include the development of organ-on-a-chip devices that utilize microfluidic technology to simulate maternal and fetal tissues during pregnancy. These devices have enabled him to investigate ascending infections in the female reproductive tract, offering opportunities for disease modeling, preclinical drug testing, and toxicological studies.

His work and collaborations with other Filipino researchers include papers on the environmental epidemiology of leptospirosis, diagnosis of intestinal schistosomiasis, and identification of microRNA as prognostic biomarkers for hepatic fibrosis in schistosomiasis patients. These community-based studies have led to the development of diagnostic and prognostic tools for schistosomiasis, while his involvement in studies on cytokine biomarkers for Filipino COVID-19 patients has provided valuable insights into the epidemiology and prognosis of COVID-19.

His study on the co-infection of HPV and sexually transmitted infections among cervical cancer patients in the Philippines received the best oral presentation award at the 23rd Biological Sciences Graduate Congress in Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Furthermore, his research on the role of cervical exosomes in pregnancy earned him the silver award in the poster competition at the American Society for Reproductive Immunology 40th Annual Meeting.

Dr. Tantengco is actively involved in various clinical research projects within the field of maternal-fetal medicine. In addition to his research endeavors, Dr. Tantengco actively engages in teaching and mentoring future physicians and scientists. He has also served as a co-adviser to BS Biology students at the UP Manila and Bulacan State University. In 2022, he established the Medical Informetrics and Science Laboratory, comprising approximately 150 medical students and doctors. He serves on the editorial board of the Pharmacognosy Journal and Obesity Medicine.

I Charmaine Lingdas