Filipina Physician-Scientist Named National Finalist for 2026 ASEAN–U.S. Science Prize for Women

MANILA, Philippines — Dr. Venus Oliva Cloma-Rosales, physician, public health scientist, and Founder and Managing Director of 101 Health Research, has been selected as the Philippine National Finalist in the Mid-Career category of the 2026 UL Research Institutes–ASEAN–U.S. Science Prize for Women.

This year’s theme, “AI for Advancing Inclusive and Resilient Healthcare in ASEAN,” recognizes women scientists harnessing artificial intelligence to address healthcare challenges across Southeast Asia.

For more than a decade, Cloma-Rosales has worked across clinical research, public health, health systems, and health data science. Her work includes AI applications for HERDIN, the Philippines’ national health research database; the midterm evaluation of the Philippine National Unified Health Research Agenda; and a global study on digital disruption and climate stress in the nursing workforce, including analysis of more than 14,000 online job postings.

“Health and research data are often fragmented across institutions, databases, and systems,” Cloma-Rosales said. “AI can help us connect and learn from these sources at scale, turning fragmented data into evidence for better decisions.”

She sees this as part of a broader goal of building learning health systems that continuously use research, data, and real-world experience to improve care.

“The goal is not simply to use more AI, but to build health systems that keep learning—combining technology with scientific rigor, local knowledge, and human judgment. This is especially important at a time of major health policy changes, digital transformations, and as we aim for climate resilience.”

Cloma-Rosales is a physician and public health scientist who trained in Pediatrics and holds a Master of Public Health from the National University of Singapore and a Master in Entrepreneurship from the Asian Institute of Management. She was selected as an Eisenhower Fellow in 2025.

The Philippines is also represented in the Senior Scientist category by Prof. Julie Ann A. Salido of Aklan State University, a computer scientist whose research includes deep learning applications for skin lesion analysis and melanoma detection.

National Finalists will undergo regional judging, with two Regional Finalists from each category advancing to the final pitch competition.

Watch Dr. Cloma-Rosales’ National Finalist video pitch: