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Her research at Harvard has potential applications in cancer diagnostics, neuroscience, and infectious diseases. This only reinforced her resolve to come back home.
LEYTE, Philippines – Dr. Ea Kristine Clarisse B. Tulin-Escueta, an assistant professor at the Visayas State University (VSU), has returned home with a renewed vision for the future of science in the Eastern Visayas region.
Fresh from her postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Ea is determined to champion biotechnology research in her home university in Leyte.
A proud product of a state university, she earned her college chemistry degree at VSU, graduating magna cum laude and serving as class valedictorian in 2016.
Ea later pursued her graduate education at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, where she earned both her master’s and doctoral degrees in biological chemistry. She was mentored in Japan by professor Atsushi Nishikawa, an internationally renowned glycobiologist and immunologist, who greatly influenced her scientific foundations in glycosciences.
Even before going to Harvard, Ea made the intentional choice to return to VSU after finishing her PhD, joining the newly established Department of Biotechnology, an emerging field of discipline that is only offered by few institutions in the country.
But, in 2023, a rare opportunity opened for her. She was accepted for a competitive postdoctoral fellowship in the United States under the mentorship of professor Richard D. Cummings, a leading authority in the global field of glycobiology and glycomics.
At Harvard, she honed advanced techniques in developing lab-made antibody that targets specific sugars on harmful cells to help the body fight diseases. This has potential applications in cancer diagnostics, neuroscience, and infectious diseases.
Her experience abroad only reinforced her resolve to come back home.
“I’ve always actually dreamed of working in the Philippines. I thought, when I was young, if I can find a way to combine this beautiful island of Leyte with the science that I’m trained to do abroad, that would be the best-case scenario,” she said.
She refers to her dream of building a “science island” in Leyte: a vision where government, industry, and academia collaborate to produce impactful, community-responsive research.
“The Philippines needs more scientists. VSU, I’ve always thought of it as my home. I want to build some sort of science island here, where we can do impactful research for the community to really address the needs of our people in Leyte,” she said.
She hopes to establish a research laboratory focusing on glycobiology and natural products for metabolic diseases, which are areas pioneered by her mentors, former VSU president Dr. Edgardo E. Tulin and outgoing Advanced Research and Innovation Center (ARIC) director Dr. Maria Teresa P. Loreto.
Ea plans to integrate her expertise in immunology and glycosciences to tackle pressing local health issues such as snake bites, rabies, and schistosomiasis.
She also believes that returning scientists like herself carry a broader responsibility.
“As international scholars, our role is to build bridges between the Philippines and the world. We are ambassadors of Filipino scientists. We put our best foot forward so we can open opportunities for others,” Ea said.
Her commitment to this ideal has already borne fruit. After her time in Japan, she helped create pathways for four VSU alumni to pursue masters and doctoral degrees because of her recommendations. The same is now happening at Harvard, where another Filipino scholar has succeeded her in the same antibody development work she practiced.
Now firmly back at VSU, Ea is focused on cultivating a dynamic research ecosystem in Eastern Visayas. She hopes to inspire and mentor the next generation of Filipino scientists while forging strategic partnerships across disciplines and borders.
In fact, she will bring her mentor Professor Cummings to VSU this September for a visit and a symposium that her home department will spearhead. It is expected that some possible collaborations could be explored depending on the unique needs of the region. This is the first time for a Harvard professor to visit VSU.
Ea’s homecoming comes at a pivotal time for her alma mater as it prepares to open its College of Medicine. She believes that the interdisciplinary research she brings from the United States and Japan can significantly contribute to this bold expansion in medical education.
Inspired by fellow scientists who chose to return home and guided by her parents, professors Edgardo Tulin and Anabella Tulin, both institution builders and scientists, Ea sees her path not only as personal but also purposeful.
“Doing research for Filipinos is something to be very proud of,” she affirmed.
And with that spirit, this young Filipina scientist returns home, not just to teach and research, but to build a future where science is rooted in service and powered by hope. – Rappler.com
