I earned my Bachelor of Biology (Genetics) and Master of Science in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology with a minor in Plant Breeding from the University of the Philippines at Los Banos. I worked in various government research institutes for over 15 years, focusing on various crops, including coconut, eggplant, papaya, Job's tears, cultivated rice and wild rice relatives. I am currently on study leave as a Senior Science Research Specialist at the Philippine Rice Research Institute to pursue my PhD at Batley Lab.