Dr. Dolores Ramirez, celebrated BIO 30 mentor, graces Vogue cover

National Scientist and renowned Filipina geneticist Dr. Dolores Ramirez was featured on the cover of Vogue Philippines’ August 2023 issue, titled: “Ladies who Launch: A Craft Issue”. This issue celebrated five Filipino women who have made groundbreaking advancements in their fields, extending across the realm of the sciences, arts, and culture. 

Dr. Ramirez was featured for her exceptional contributions and obtained achievements related to the sciences, specifically to the fields of genetics and plant breeding through her years in research and the academe.

Known as the “Mother Cell” of the country, Dr. Ramirez has been known to provide quality teaching of genetics at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) spanning decades. She is one of the first authors of the “Lectures in Genetics” BIO 30 manual, which is the central teaching material used in the genetics course of UPLB. With this manual, she was able to advance the instruction of introductory genetics to students since 1968. At 91 years old, Dr. Ramirez has nurtured the talents of her students who have, by now, applied their knowledge in forging broader paths in genetics and other fields. 

Dr. Ramirez or Ma’am DR, as called by her students, during one of her famous BIO 30 Lectures.

As a researcher, her contributions to agriculture mainly stem from her investigations on the genetics surrounding a variety of crops, including macapuno, rice, mungbean, legume crops, and so on. Two flowers are named after her – the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ‘Dolores A. Ramirez’ and Mussaenda ‘Dolores A. Ramirez’ – in recognition of her remarkable feats in the sciences.

Aside from being conferred with the National Scientist title by the National Academy of Science and Technology in 1998, she was also the recipient of the 1976 Gregorio Y. Zara Award in Basic Research, the 1981 Rizal Pro Patria Award for Outstanding Achievement in Science (Biochemical Genetics), and the 1985 UP Professional Achievement Award in Agriculture, among other notable achievements. 

Dr. Ramirez has been and will continue to be one of the pillars of genetics in the Philippines due to her passion for promoting the science of genetics in the country. Her dedication to serving the country through research proves to us that Dr. Ramirez truly is a Filipina to be celebrated.