DESTURA, Raul (Philippines)
Dr. Raul V. Destura is a microbiologist and infectious disease specialist. He graduated with a bachelorís degree in Microbiology at the University of Sto. Tomas. He took his medical degree and specialty in internal medicine at the De la Salle University College of Medicine. After which, he went to the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital for his subspecialty training in Infectious Diseases. Subsequently, he received a research scholarship grant to the International Training and Fellowship on Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Center for Global Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine where he work as research fellow and collaborator in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for Excellence in Biodefense Research primarily on low-dose enteric pathogens. He is a diplomate of the Philippine College of Physicians and Fellow of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

He has written and presented several scientific papers and review articles both local and international in the field of immunonutrition, infection and intestinal health as well as in the field of molecular infectious diseases. His current research undertakings include diarrhea and malnutrition, low-cost low-technology driven diagnostic kits development for infectious diseases.

Since his return to the Philippines in 2005, he received several citations and travel grants for his research work such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Travel Scholarship Grant for Molecular Helminthology as well as the Infectious Disease Society of America Travel Grant for Excellence in Research. Locally, he was the special citation recipient in the field of Infectious Diseases for the NAST-DuPont Talent Search for Young Scientist of the Philippines for 2006 and as Model Physician Innovator for 2007 of the Medical City Hospital. Last year he is a recipient of the 2008 Outstanding Young Scientist of the Philippines from the National Academy of Science and Technology.

Currently, he is a clinical and research associate professor of medicine at the UP-College of Medicine, the Institute Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, convenor of the study group on enteric diseases, chair of the University Institutional Biosafety Committee and Consultant-Director of the Molecular Diagnostic and clinical microbiology Laboratory of the Medical City.

In 2011 he was selected for the IAMP (now IAP) Young Physician Leaders (YPL) programme, and co-authored 'IAMP tackles a void in medical education: leadership', a letter article to the Lancet describing their experience and its potential value in their professional lives (you can read it here).