Dr. Gloria de Castro-Bernas (1943-2006)
Farewell to Dr. Gloria De
Castro-Bernas: Exemplary Science
Educator, Researcher, Administrator
By Mafel C. Ysrael, PhD and
Fortunato B. Sevilla III, PhD
This month, the Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology community in the
Philippines lost one of its most
active and inspiring movers - Dr.
Gloria de Castro-Bernas of the
University of Santo Tomas.
Dr. Bernas was the immediate past
president of the Philippine Society
for Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology (PSBMB) (2003 to 2005). Her
involvement in the society dates
back to its early years, when the
organization was known as the
Philippine Biochemical Society. She
participated enthusiastically in the
activities of the organization which
were geared towards updating and
upgrading biochemical education and
research in the country. She
contributed significantly to the
growth of the society into a
prestigious and internationally
recognized scientific organization.
Biochemistry occupied a high place
of preference in the academic
pursuits of Dr. Bernas. She obtained
her undergraduate degree in
Chemistry at the University of Santo
Tomas, and post-graduate training in
Clinical Biochemistry at the
Massachusetts General Hospital in
the United States of America. She
pursued further studies in
Biochemistry, completing her M.Sc.
studies at the University of Santo
Tomas and Ph.D. studies at the
University of the Philippines in
Manila. She carried out her doctoral
dissertation at the Harvard Medical
School and Boston University Medical
Center.
As an educator, Dr. Bernas was based
at the University of Santo Tomas
where she pushed forward the
teaching of biochemistry towards the
modern molecular approach. Inspired
and guided by her mentor Dr. Clara
Lim-Sylianco, she made her students
realize the relevance of the
structure of biomolecules to their
functions in a living system. Her
students at the College of Science,
the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery
and the Graduate School of the
university remember the enthusiasm
with which she taught them the
mechanisms of biochemical reactions.
Research was also a passion for Dr.
Bernas. She engaged her intellectual
talent in tracing the molecular
roots of cancer, and in
investigating the potential of
Philippine plants in the management
of cancer. She also conducted
studies on the activity of some
local medicinal plants in the growth
and in the death of blood vessels,
demonstrating the possibility of
their application in controlling
hypertension and cancer. Her
research work was carried out mostly
at the UST Research Center for the
Natural Sciences. Her research
outputs were published in a number
of refereed journals and presented
in national and international
conferences.
As recognition of her academic
achievements and leadership, Dr.
Bernas was appointed as the chair of
the Department of Chemistry of the
College of Science in 1994, and was
later made the Dean of the College
in 1996. During her deanship,
undergraduate degree programs in
Computer Science, Information
Technology, Information Management
and Applied Physics were introduced
in the College. In 2002, she was
named the Assistant to the Rector
for Research and Development. While
holding this administrative
position, Dr. Bernas formalized the
establishment of research centers in
a number of fields of studies, such
as Movement Science, Cultural
Heritage, Applied Ethics and
Contextualized Theology.
Family life was likewise a priority
for Dr. Gloria de Castro-Bernas. At
home, she was a dedicated and loving
wife to Silverio. Together, the
husband and wife team of Silverio
and Gloria shaped their three
children – Brice, Teresa Rowena and
Sheila Marie to become professionals
and achievers themselves. In the
past few years, she assumed another
role, that of being the doting
grandmother to two energetic boys,
Samuel Leonard and Zachary Abad.
To all her friends and colleagues,
Dr. Gloria de Castro-Bernas will
always be remembered as a woman of
great courage and optimism. She has
earned the respect and admiration of
scientists, both here and abroad,
for not letting her illness get in
the way of her passion and drive in
pushing science education and
research in the Philippines. Her
active, long-term participation in
organizations such as the Organic
Chemistry Teachers Association (OCTA),
PSBMB and PAASE and her various
research collaborations are strong
testimony to her commitment and
support for the growth of science
and technology in the country. Here
are some of her friends’ endearing
thoughts about her.
I have a great admiration for her
leadership, dedication and efforts
in pushing scientific research in
the Philippines. In my conversations
and contacts with her, I found
someone who was refreshing to talk
to and who never lost optimism (Dr.
Seville-Wadleigh, PAASE)
I have been respecting Dr. Gloria
Bernas since I first met her 10
years ago. I wish to express my
official and personal sympathy to
you and UST for the loss of a great
leader of science in your country.
(Prof. Takashi Okamoto, Nagoya
University)
Those of us who participated at the
UST-PAASE Research Symposium in June
last year (before the PAASE meeting
in Cebu) will remember how this
courageous woman, with no regard for
her illness, delivered a most
interesting talk on the angiogenic
activity of certain Philippine
plants. (Dr. Judy Ribaya-Mercado,
PAASE)
Dr. Mafel C. Ysrael is the
chair of the Department of
Biochemistry at the Faculty of
Pharmacy of UST
(mcysrael@mnl.ust.edu.ph) and
Dr. Fortunato B. Sevilla III is
the Dean of the College of Science
in UST
(fbsevilla@mnl.ust.edu.ph). |
