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PALACPAC NIRIANNE MARIE QUERIJERO (SA Prof.)Department of Malaria Vaccine Development

Q1 Where are you from? Which part of your country?

I am from the Philippines, born in Manila but moved to Los Baños, Laguna (around 63 km southeast of Manila) prior to being here in Japan.  Los Baños (“bathing place” in Spanish) is known for hot springs, the volcano Maria Makiling and the largest freshwater lake in the Philippines, Laguna de Bay.

Q2 Do you have brothers or sisters?

4 brothers

Q3 Please tell us your favorite things.

Book: books by Mitch Albom, detective/espionage books

Movie: Pixar and Disney movies, also the Japanese movie “Your name”

Food: coke, ice cream, chocolate (currently in that order as “energy” foods)

Place: Minoo

Sports: bowling, swimming

Q4 What is your hobby? Are you into something now?

I like to read, cook (but not conventional or thru cookbooks—more of like mixing any ingredient available or “tekitou”), and do outreach activities.

Q5 What did you do for club activities and lessons, etc. when you were a teenager ?

I did karate, “elementary” piano, camping, outreach activities.

Q6 What was the most enthusiastic thing when you were in university ?

To get the Bachelor’s degree, I studied and had a part-time job; to get my Master’s degree, I was working and part-time studying. During this time, I also like doing small souvenirs for weddings, birthdays, etc.

Q7 How did you get into the career of researcher?

I became interested in science because of my high school biology teacher who in lecturing would draw in the blackboard: sticks, circles, boxes, etc. (not words), and when the class would end you see a sort of 3D picture of what she was describing. I also love applied sciences and translational research, as well as meeting people and trying to see (or letting them see) how science can help them.

Q8 Please tell us about the moment when you got most excited on researching.

When it seems that all data “fits” (even negative data!) and then you see clues that help you understand the jigsaw puzzle, making you pursue further. This was especially true in our recent trial: when in a Ugandan café the vaccine candidate developed by Prof Horii got its first promising clinical trial data in Africa.

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