MrDeign Frolley Soriano

I am Deign Frolley C. Soriano, a Doctoral Researcher under the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks program at University College Dublin, Republic of Ireland. My work builds on over a decade of experience in biology education, ecological research, and sustainability advocacy in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

Before starting my PhD, I served as Assistant Professor and Department Chairperson of the Department of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Baguio. I also worked as Lead for Science Innovation at the Social Innovation Laboratory and Business Inclusion – Technology Business Incubator (SILBI-TBI) and as Student Relations Officer at the Office of Student Affairs, UP Baguio.

I earned my BS Biology at UP Baguio in 2016, where my undergraduate research on invasive giant earthworms in the Cordillera earned the Best Thesis Presenter Award and a Best Thesis finalist citation. In 2022, I completed my MSc in Environmental Management at the University of Reading, United Kingdom, as a Chevening Scholar. My dissertation evaluated the ecological quality of the Abra River Basin in Northern Luzon using the Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI).

My research interests cover limnology, biodiversity conservation, watershed ecology, citizen science, ecosystem services, and science-policy linkages. I have co-authored peer-reviewed articles and policy outputs published in both national and international journals, reflecting my interdisciplinary approach to ecology and sustainability.

I also represent young scientists and advocates in global and regional platforms. I served on the WWF-Philippines National Youth Council, as a campaigner for Save Philippine Seas, and as the Biodiversity and Environment sector representative to the UN Youth Advisory Board Philippines. I was selected as a YSEALI Academic Fellow (University of Montana), NextGen Leadership Fellow (Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation), and delegate to the IPBES Youth Workshop in Germany. I was a grand finalist for the EWC Earth Optimism Awards for Southeast Asia in 2020.

As a researcher, educator, and advocate, I aim to advance inclusive and science-driven solutions for biodiversity conservation and protection, freshwater ecosystems, and community well-being.