Professor Donna May D.C. Papa, PhD of the Department of Biological Sciences was named the 2023 Rosalind Franklin Society Special Awardee for Science. In a letter from the society鈥檚 Executive Director, Karla Shepard Rubinger, Papa is being recognized for her 鈥渞emarkable contributions and dedication to advancing scientific knowledge.鈥�
In an interview with the Communications Bureau, Papa said the awards came as a surprise, as she was 鈥渘ever informed of the nominations.鈥� Instead, the selection by RFS was done among female scientists worldwide.
Papa, a Microbiology professor at the College of Science and the Graduate School, specializes in bacterial viruses or bacteriophages. In the professional circles, she was the former President of the Philippine Society of Microbiology. She has also won awards, such as the National Academy of Science and Technology Outstanding Scientific Paper for her work on Salmonella treatment. In 2023, she joined international experts for the very first hands-on Bacteriophage Workshop in Southeast Asia. At the moment, she is working on phage therapy as an alternative to antibiotics given the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Papa acknowledged the support of her family, her mentors Prof. Irineo J. Dogma, Jr., Dr. Hans Ackermann, and her students.
