Assistant Professor (Batangas State University – ARASOF College of Arts and Sciences)
Research Staff (Verde Island Passage Center for Oceanographic Research and Aquatic Life Sciences)
Dr. Azcuna has 10 years of experience in marine natural products chemistry. His expertise encompasses coral reef ecology, sponge chemical ecology, microbial isolation from sponges, and marine natural product drug discovery.
Since 2008, he has been involved in the following projects at the Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines Diliman (UP MSI):
- Emerging Interdisciplinary Research Project with Emphasis on the Coast – UP MSI, Quezon City Philippines (January 2015 – December 2017) (University Researcher II)
- Drug Discovery and Health Products Marine Component – UP MSI, Quezon City Philippines (July 2014 – November 2015) (Science Research Specialist II)
- PharmaSeas Drug Discovery Program – UP MSI, Quezon City Philippines (April 2008 – April 2012) (University Research Associate II)
Dr. Azcuna is a recent graduate (January 2019) of the Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines Diliman, with a Doctor of Philosophy in Marine Science major in Marine Biotechnology. His dissertation studied a case of compounds isolated from the marine sponge Callyspongia samarensis and their allelopathic effect on the hard coral Porites cylindrica. The first chapter of his dissertation linked the allelopathic nature of these compounds with potential anticancer activity. In addition, two other chapters of his dissertation pursued the isolation of sponge-associated microorganisms. These microbes were archived in a biobank and cultured in fermenters for large-scale production and subsequent purification of compounds with drug discovery potential (e.g. anticancer activity, antimicrobial activity, neurological activity).
In the course of his doctoral degree, Dr. Azcuna worked in various drug discovery projects at the Marine Natural Products Laboratory of UP MSI under the supervision of Dr. Gisela Concepcion. As a researcher in the PharmaSeas Drug Discovery Program and Drug Discovery and Health Products Marine Component, he secured the necessary permits (e.g. Prior Informed Consent, Gratuitous Permits) from the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) for collecting sponge samples in Philippine waters (e.g. Pangasinan, Romblon, Cebu, Zamboanga). This involved linkages between Local Government Units (LGUs) and the local communities in the collection sites. He also handled the procurement of scientific equipment that was crucial for high-throughput screening of compounds for drug discovery (e.g. HPLC systems, Mass Spectrometers, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometers).