Curriculum vitae
CURRICULUM VITAE, NOVEMBER 2022
NAME: Gisela P. Concepcion
POSITION TITLE: Professor Emeritus, The Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines Diliman
EDUCATION/TRAINING
A. Statement of Professional Interests and Accomplishments
G.P. Concepcion began her pursuit of marine natural products research in 1991, after obtaining her Ph.D. in 1995, afterwich she began teaching postgraduate courses as professor at The Marine Science Institute and affiliate professor at the Institute of Chemistry of the University of the Philippines Diliman. She led and managed large marine natural products and drug discovery research programs, such as the Pharmaseas and PMS-ICBG (Philippine Mollusk Symbiont-International Cooperative Biodiversity Group) programs. Together with local and foreign collaborators, her research group has characterized a very great number of bioactive marine natural products isolated from Philippine marine organisms which could serve as drug leads for the treatment of cancer, various infectious diseases, pain and inflammation. The group pioneered in taking a concerted bio-discovery approach, making use of ecological information, classical natural products isolation and characterization, cell-based screening for molecular targets relating to cancer and infections, pain and neuro-activity, genetics for phylogeny and discovery of peptides and organic molecules, and microbial-invertebrate host symbioses and interaction studies. She was the Associate Program Leader based in the Philippines of the ten-year PMS-ICBG program funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health Fogarty International, National Science Foundation and Department of Energy. The PMS-ICBG program ended in July 2020.
These projects led to numerous publications in international, peer-reviewed journals, and several patent applications and patents granted. She has mentored more than 100 students, research assistants and younger faculty colleagues; four graduated in U.P. with Ph.D. degrees and twenty-three with M.S. degrees in fields such as Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Marine Science Major in Marine Biotechnology, Molecular Medicine, and Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. Many more have earned their Ph.D.s in leading universities abroad.
As a consequence of her extensive research experience, she was invited by the U.P. President who assumed office in 2011 to serve as the Vice President for Academic Affairs of the U.P. System. Her distinctive role was to help lead the transformation of U.P. into a high quality academic (teaching and learning) institution and a research-intensive university. Among the most noteworthy, forward-looking programs she conceptualized and implemented successfully were the following: Balik PhD Faculty Recruitment, Emerging Interdisciplinary Research (EIDR), and Internationalization programs such as the Research Dissemination (RDG - foreign travel to attend international conferences), Visiting Professor (foreign-based Filipino and foreign academics), COOPERATE (postgraduate sandwich Masters thesis and PhD dissertation research abroad), MOVE-UP (undergraduate semester-long study abroad), and WELS (World Expert Lecture Series) programs. She also crafted the concept, criteria and mechanics for implementation of the One U.P. Professorial Chair Awards, encouraged more productivity among scientists and artists through the enhanced International Publication Awards (IPA), enhanced Scientific Productivity System (SPS) Awards, enhanced Arts Productivity System (APS) Awards, and enhanced Creative Work and Research Grant (CWRG) Awards. For these accomplishments, in 2016, she received the DOST-NAST Outstanding Science Administrator Award (Dioscoro L. Umali Medal).
It has been her life-long professional goal to help improve the state of science and technology in the Philippines, In 2006, PhP1.7 billion was allocated to build the National Science Complex in U.P. Diliman as a result of the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering (PAASE) campaign that was spearheaded by Dr. Concepcion. Afterwards, she became the coordinator of the Biophysicochemical Techno Incubation Core Facility (TICF) of the National Science Complex, which makes high-end scientific equipment available to thesis students and researchers. She was also a member and Biodiversity Program Leader of the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) which was established in 2010.
Dr. Concepcion was elected as Academician of the Philippine National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) in 2008. In 2015, she was elected Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). In December 2019, Dr. Concepcion retired from U.P., and in October 2020 she was named Professor Emeritus of The Marine Science Institute in U.P. Diliman.
In 2007, Dr. Concepcion co-founded the free access, online journal Philippine Science Letters, now renamed SciEnggJ (www.scienggj.org), which showcases the work of Filipino scientists in the Philippines and abroad. SciEnggJ is an ISI/Clarivate- and SCOPUS-listed journal. Developing the minds of young scientists is a very important goal to her, and so in an effort to bring science awareness to Filipino youth and the general public, she ran a weekly column called STAR SCIENCE in the newspaper daily The Philippine Star for over 10 years with articles contributed by her and fellow scientists who were members of PAASE. These STAR SCIENCE articles are now found in 5 volumes of books titled SCIENCE PHILIPPINES published by the U.P. Press.
As PAASE president in 2011 and in 2020-2021, Dr. Concepcion has been a very staunch advocate of STI (Science, Technology & Innovation)-based constructive volunteerism to support outreach programs in Philippine regions, and taking a “whole of province” and “whole of society” multi-stakeholder approach to socio-economic development. During her term, PAASE signed more than 15 MOUs and MOAs with national and regional government agencies, local and foreign academic institutions, NGOs, foundations and the private sector. She is currently president of the PAASE Foundation Philippines, Inc. (PFPI), a DOST (Department of Science and Technology)-certified foundation. In 2022, Dr. Concepcion was elected Member-At-Large of the Governing Board of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP).
B. Positions and Honors
Positions and Employment
Professional Memberships and Other Profession-Related Activities
Honors and Awards
C. Publications
H-index 36, Citations 3,862, i10 index: 80 as of March 29, 2023
D. Selected publications (in chronological order)
Laude, JMM, Picart MRD, Lim, AL, Tun, JO, Ramones, CMV, Rellin, KFB, Chicote, MO, Ratnayakeo, R, Matthews, JH, Luesch, H, Salvador-Reyes, LA, Concepcion, GP. Moringa oleifera compounds from seeds and extracts from leaves: anticancer and cancer chemopreventive properties; preparation of leaf extract-based herbal syrup. SciEnggJ 2022. 15 (2), 192-227. https://scienggj.org/2022-192/
Ramiro, IBL, Bjørn-Yoshimoto, WE, Imperial, JS, Gajewiak, J, Salcedo, PF, Watkins, M, Taylor, D, Resager, W, Ueberheide, B, Bräuner-Osborne, H, Whitby, FG, Hill, CP, Martin, LF, Patwardhan, A, Concepcion, GP, Olivera, BM, Safavi-Hemami, H. Somatostatin venom analogs evolved by fish-hunting cone snails: From prey capture behavior to identifying drug leads. Sci Adv. 2021 8 (12), eabk1410
Miller, BW, Schmidt, EW, Concepcion, GP, Haygood, MG. Halogenated Metal-Binding Compounds from Shipworm Symbionts. J Nat Prod. 2022. Feb 23. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.1c01049. Online ahead of print.
Torres, JP, Lin, Z, Watkins, M, Salcedo, PF, Baskin, RP, Elhabian, S, Safavi-Hemami, H, Taylor, D, Tun, JO, Concepcion, GP, Saguil, N, Yanagihara, AA, Fang, Y, McArthur, JR, Tae, HS, Finol-Urdaneta, RK, Duygu Özpolat, B, Olivera, BM, Schmidt, EW. Small-molecule mimicry hunting strategy in the imperial cone snail, Conus imperialis Sci Adv. 2021. 7 (11), eabf270492021.
Lacerna, NM, Ramones, CMV, Robes, JMD, Picart, MRD, Tun, JO, Miller, BW, Haygood, MG, Schmidt, EW, Salvador-Reyes, LA, Concepcion, GP. Inhibition of Biofilm Formation by Modified Oxylipins from the Shipworm Symbiont Teredinibacter turnerae. Mar Drugs. 2020. 18 (12), 65612020.
Chua, VM, Gajewiak, J, Watkins, M, Espino, SS, Ramiro, IBL, Omaga, CA, Imperial, JS, Carpio, LPD, Fedosov, AE, Safavi-Hemami, H, Salvador-Reyes, LA, Olivera, BM, Concepcion, GP. Purification and characterization of the pink-Floyd Drillipeptide, a bioactive venom peptide from Clavus davidgilmouri (Gastropoda: Conoidea: Drilliidae). Toxins. 2020.12 (8), 50832020.
Altamia, MA, Lin, Z, Trindade-Silva, AE, Uy, ID, Shipway, JR, Wilke, DV, Concepcion, GP, Distel, DL, Schmidt, EW, Haygood, MG. Secondary metabolism in the gill microbiota of shipworms (Teredinidae) as revealed by comparison of metagenomes and nearly complete symbiont genomes. Msystems. 2020. 5 (3), e00261-2062020.
Lu, A, Watkins, M, Li, Q, Robinson, SD, Concepcion, GP, Yandell, M, Weng, Z, Olivera, BM, Safavi-Hemami, H, Fedosov, AE. Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals Extraordinary Diversity of Venom Peptides in Unexplored Predatory Gastropods of the Genus Clavus. Genome biology and evolution. 2020. 12 (5), 684-70062020.
Miller, BW, Torres, JP, Tun, JO, Flores, MS, Forteza, I, Rosenberg, G, Haygood, MG, Schmidt, EW, Concepcion, GP. Synergistic anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) activity and absolute stereochemistry of 7, 8- dideoxygriseorhodin C. J Antib. 2020. 73 (5), 290-298.
Torres, JP, Lin, Z, Fenton, DS, Leavitt, LU, Niu, C, Lam, PY, Robes, JMD, Peterson, RT, Concepcion, GP, Haygood, MG, Olivera, BM, Schmidt, EW. Boholamide A, an APD-Class, Hypoxia-Selective Cyclodepsipeptide. J Nat Prod. 2020. 83 (4), 1249-125762020.
Shipway, JR, Rosenberg, G, Concepcion, GP, Haygood, MG, Savrda, C, Distel, DL. Shipworm bioerosion of lithic substrates in a freshwater setting, Abatan River, Philippines: Ichnologic, paleoenvironmental and biogeomorphical implications. Plos One. 2019. 14 (10), e022455122019.
Distel, DL, Shipway, JR, Altamia, MA, Rosenberg, G, Concepcion, GP, Haygood, MG. Rock-Eating Shipworms. Nat Hist. 2019. 127 (9), 12-15.
Tun, JO, Salvador-Reyes, LA, Velarde, MC, Saito, N, Suwanborirux, K, Concepcion, GP. Synergistic cytotoxicity of renieramycin M and doxorubicin in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Mar Drugs. 2019. 17 (9), 536182019.
Shipway, JR, Altamia, MA, Rosenberg, G, Concepcion, GP, Haygood, MG, Distel, DL. A rock-boring and rock-ingesting freshwater bivalve (shipworm) from the Philippines. Proc Royal Soc B. 2019. 286 (1905), 20190434192019.
Altamia, MA, Shipway, JR, Concepcion, GP, Haygood, MG, Distel, DL. Thiosocius teredinicola gen. nov., sp. nov., a sulfur-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophic endosymbiont cultivated from the gills of the giant shipworm, Kuphus polythalamius. Intl J Sys Evol. Microbio. 2019. 69 (3), 638122019
Lacerna, NM, Miller, BW, Lim, AL, Tun, JO, Robes, JMD, Cleofas, MJB, Lin, Z...Concepcion, GP. Mindapyrroles A–C, pyoluteorin analogues from a shipworm-associated bacterium J Nat Prod. 2019. 82 (4), 1024-1028122019.
Shipway, JR, Altamia, MA, Rosenberg, G, Concepcion, GP, Haygood, MG, Distel, DL. Tamilokus mabinia, a new, anatomically divergent genus and species of wood-boring bivalve from the Philippines. 2019. Peer J 7, e6256.
Shipway, JR, Altamia, MA, Haga, T, Velásquez, M, Albano, J, Dechavez, R, Concepcion, GP, Haygood, MG, Distel, DL. Observations on the Life History and Geographic Range of the Giant Chemosymbiotic Shipworm Kuphus polythalamius (Bivalvia: Teredinidae). Biol. Bull. 2018. 235 (3), 167-177.
Lacerna N, Miller B, Lim A, Tun J, Robes JM, Cleofas MJ, Lin Z, Salvador-Reyes L, Haygood M, Schmidt E, Concepcion G. Mindapyrroles A-C, Pyoluteorin Analogs from a Shipworm-Associated Bacterium. J Nat Prod. 2019. February doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.8b00979.
Belleza OJV, Tun JO, Concepcion GP, Villaraza AJL. On the inhibition of capsaicin response in dorsal root ganglion neurons by nobilamide B and analogues: a structure–activity relationship study. Med Chem Comm. 2018. 9 (10):1673-1678.
Torres JP, Tianero MD, Robes JMD, Kwan JC, Biggs JS, Concepcion GP, Olivera BM, Haygood MG, Schmidt EW. Stenotrophomonas-Like Bacteria Are Widespread Symbionts in Cone Snail Venom Ducts. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2017. Nov 16;83(23). pii: e01418-17.
Omaga CA, Carpio LD, Imperial JS, Daly NL, Gajewiak J, Flores MS, Espino SS, Christensen S, Filchakova OM, López-Vera E, Raghuraman S, Olivera BM, Concepcion GP. Structure and Biological Activity of a Turripeptide from Unedogemmula bisaya Venom. Biochemistry. 2017 Nov 14;56(45):6051-6060.
Li Q, Barghi N, Lu A, Fedosov AE, Bandyopadhyay PK, Lluisma AO, Concepcion GP, Yandell M, Olivera BM, Safavi-Hemami H. Divergence of the Venom Exogene Repertoire in Two Sister Species of Turriconus. Genome Biol Evol. 2017 Sep 1;9(9):2211-2225.
Lin Z, Smith MD, Concepcion GP, Haygood MG, Olivera BM, Light A, Schmidt EW. Modulating the Serotonin Receptor Spectrum of Pulicatin Natural Products. J Nat Prod. 2017 Jul 26.
Distel DL, Altamia MA, Lin Z, Shipway JR, Han AW, Forteza I, Antemano R, Limbaco, MGJP, Tebo AG, Dechavez R, Albano J, Concepcion GP, Schmidt EW, Haygood MG. Discovery of chemoautotrophic symbiosis in the giant shipworm Kuphus polythalamia (Bivalvia: Teredinidae) extends wooden-steps theory. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2017. May 2;114(18):E3652-E3658.
Saito N, Hiramatsu A, Hirade H, Kubota M, Toyoshima R, Fujino A, Sirimangkalakitti N, Suwanborirux K, Concepcion GP. Chemistry of renieramycins. 16. Structure of 7-demethylrenieramycin O (= 14ɑ-hydroxyrenieramycin S, from blue sponge Xestospongia sp. HeterocyclesI. 2017; 95(2):748-752.
Barghi N, Concepcion GP, Olivera BM, Lluisma AO. High conopeptide diversity in Conus tribblei revealed through analysis of venom duct transcriptome using two high-throughput sequencing platforms. Mar Biotechnol (NY). 2015; 17(1):81-98.
Imperial JS, Cabang AB, Song J, Raghuraman S, Gajewiak J, Watkins M, Showers-Corneli P, Fedosov A, Concepcion GP, Terlau H, Teichert RW, Olivera BM. A family of excitatory peptide toxins from venomous crassispirine snails: Using Constellation Pharmacology to assess bioactivity. Toxicon. 2014; 89C:45-54.
Olivera BM, Imperial JS, Concepcion GP. “Snail Peptides”. Handbook of Biologically Active Peptides. Ed. Abba Kastin. San Diego: Academic Press, 2013; 437-450.
Lin Z, Torres JP, Ammon MA, Marett L, Teichert RW, Reilly CA, Kwan JC, Hughen RW, Flores M, Tianero MD, Peraud O, Cox JE, Light AR, Villaraza AJ, Haygood MG, Concepcion GP, Olivera BM, Schmidt EW. A bacterial source for mollusk pyrone polyketides. Chem Biol. 2013; 20 (1):73-81.
Elshahawi SI, Trindade-Silva AE, Hanora A, Han AW, Flores MS, Vizzoni V, Schrago CG, Soares CA, Concepcion GP, Distel DL, Schmidt EW, Haygood MG. Boronated tartrolon antibiotic produced by symbiotic cellulose-degrading bacteria in shipworm gills. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2013; 110 (4): 295-304.
Narciso JET, Uy IDC, Cabang AB, Chavez JFC, Pablo JLB, Concepcion GP, Padlan EA. Anatomy of the antibody molecule: a continuing analysis based on high resolution crystallographic structures. Phil Sci Letters. 2012; 5 (1): 63-89.
Betcher MA, Fung JM, Han AW, O'Connor R, Seronay R, Concepcion GP, Distel DL, Haygood MG. Microbial distribution and abundance in the digestive system of five shipworm species (bivalvia: teredinidae). PLoS One. 2012; 7(9):e45309.
Olivera BM, Watkins M, Bandyopadhyay P, Imperial JS, de la Cotera EP, Aguilar MB, Vera EL, Concepcion GP, Lluisma A. Adaptive radiation of venomous marine snail lineages and the accelerated evolution of venom peptide genes. Ann NY Acad Sci.2012; 1267(1):61-70.
Lin Z, Flores M, Forteza I, Enricksen NM, Concepcion GP, Rosenberg G, Haygood MG, Olivera BM, Light AR, 3rd Cheatham TE, Schmidt EW. Totopotensamides, polyketide-cyclic peptide hybrids from a mollusk-associated bacterium Streptomyces sp. J Nat Prod. 2012; 75(4):644-9.
Cabang AB, Imperial JS, Gajewiak J, Watkins M, Corneli PS, Olivera BM, Concepcion GP. Characterization of a venom peptide from a crassispirid gastropod. Toxicon. 2011; 58:672-680.
Heralde III FM, Imperial J, Bandyopadhyay PK, Olivera BM, Concepcion GP, Santos AD. A rapidly-diverging superfamily of peptide toxins in venomous Gemmula species. Toxicon. 2008; 51:890-897.
de Guzman AS, Predicala RZ, Bernardo E, Neilan B,Elardo SMP, Mangalindan GC, Tasdemir D, Ireland CM, Barraquio W, Concepcion GP. Pseudovibrio denitrificans strain Z143-1, a heptylprodigiosin-producing bacterium isolated from a Philippine tunicate. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2007; 277:188-196.
Davis RA, Mangalindan GC, Bojo ZP, Antemano RR, Rodriguez NO, Concepcion GP, Samson SC, de Guzman DD, Cruz LJ, Tasdemir D, Harper MK, Feng X, Carter GT, Ireland CM. Microcionamides A and B, bioactive peptides from the Philippine sponge Clathria (Thalysias) abietina. J Org Chem. 2004; 69 (12): 4170-6.
Earlier publications: refer to https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=list_works&hl=fil&hl=fil&user=W-lSuagAAAAJ&pagesize=80&sortby=pubdate
E. Recent Patent Applications
Philippines - Patent Application No. 12022050510 for A SOMATOSTATIN-LIKE PEPTIDE ISOLATED FROM THE VENOM OF CONUS ROLANI in the name of Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines Our ref.: U0052-00013 (Filed on Oct. 25, 2022)
Filed through the U.P. System Technology Transfer Business Development Office (TTBDO) – Patent Application Nos. and filing dates c/o TTBDO:
synergistic combination of renieramycin M and doxorubicin for treatment of breast cancer
synergistic combination of dideoxygriseorhodin C and oxacillin for treatment of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus
mindapyrroles for treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other Gram negative bacterial pathogens
F. Research Support
Research Support
U19 TW008163-06
Haygood (PI)
07/01/14-07/31/2020
Philippine Mollusk Symbiont Program, International Cooperative Biodiversity Group (PMS-ICBG)
The goal of the program is to isolate and purify biologically active components from mollusk symbiotic bacteria, and determine which types of compounds are important to symbiosis. We will also follow up on potential pharmaceutical hits by discovering or synthesizing active analogs in a drug development strategy.
Role: Associate Program Leader
University of Utah
Concepcion (PI)
07/01/2019-06/31/2024
Conus/Turrid Project
The project studies the ecology, behavior, and molecular phylogeny of cone and turrid snails.
Role: Project Leader
Philippine Council for Health Research and Development–Department of Science and Technology
Lluisma (PI)
09/31/2019–08/01/2022
Drug Discovery and Health Products (DDHP)
The objective of the project is to isolate and characterize the bioactive peptides that have potential anti-pain and anti-neurodegenerative activity.
Role: Project Staff
Completed Research Support
University of the Philippines Diliman
Concepcion (PI)
01/01/13-12/31/18
Synergistic Studies Combining Cytotoxic Compounds from Marine Invertebrates and Standard Chemotherapeutic Drugs
This in-house project aims to further the potential clinical utility of the isolated compounds from marine invertebrates and its associated bacteria by performing drug combination studies and evaluating synergistic activities.
Role: PI
Philippine Council for Health Research and Development–Department of Science and Technology
Concepcion (PI)
09/01/12–12/31/17
Malunggay Derived Anti-Tumor Agents: Isolation, Characterization, Bioactivity and Molecular Targets
The project works to screen extracts from Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) for anticancer activity and characterize active components.
Role: PI
U01TW008163
Haygood (PI)
08/01/08-07/31/13
Philippine Mollusk Symbiont Program, International Cooperative Biodiversity Group (PMS-ICBG)
This work is a biodiversity survey tied up with drug discovery and enzymatic bioprospecting targeted at bacterial symbionts from mollusks, specifically the Teredinidae, Conoidea, and Muricoidea families.
Role: Program Leader
Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development-Department of Science and Technology
Concepcion (PI)
12/ 01/07–02/14/12
Philippine PharmaSeas Drug Discovery Program Project 4: Turrids: Biochemistry, Bioassays, Drug Discovery and Development
The objective of the project is to screen extracts from turrid snails in electrophysiological assays and then isolate and characterize the bioactive peptides.
Role: PI
Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development-Department of Science and Technology
Concepcion (PI)
12/1/07–02/14/12
Philippine PharmaSeas Drug Discovery Program Project 3: Marine Microorganisms: Chemistry, Bioassays, Drug Discovery and Development
The goal of this project is to culture and extract marine microorganisms and screen them for anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity
Role: PI
Philippine Council for Health Research and Development–Department of Science and Technology
Concepcion (PI)
11/03/10–05/02/11
Recombinant Expression and Immunological Characterization of De-antigenized Human Influenza H3 Hemagglutinin
The objective of the project was to produce a recombinant protein vaccine that was rationally designed to provide long term protective immunity against constantly mutating influenza virus.
Role: PI
Philippine Council for Health Research and Development – Department of Science and Technology
Concepcion (PI)
05/00–04/06
Discovery ad Development of Anticancer Drugs and Other Agents for Immunoliposome-mediated Delivery to Breast Cancer Cells: PhilMarina and PhilFlora (AMOR Project 3.1)
The goal of this project was to isolate and fully characterize the compounds with anticancer potential isolated from Philippine marine organisms and terrestrial plants.
Role: Project Leader
Philippine Council for Health Research and Development – Department of Science and Technology
Concepcion (PI)
05/00–04/06
Discovery and development of anticancer drugs and other agents for immunoliposome-mediated delivery to breast cancer cells: VITROTOX, MOLTARGET AND VIVOTOX (AMOR Project 3.3)
The aim of the project was to test the in vitro cytotoxicity of marine and terrestrial natural products, and then package the compounds in immunoliposomes.
Role: Project Leader