Alumni of the Month: Aloysius Domingo

Aloysius Domingo is a proud member of the University of the Phlippines College of Medicine INTARMED class of 2007. He graduate from the PGH Adult Neurology program in 2012.

He says that he went into the field of neurology because,

Aloy first from the right with Drs Antonio, Jamora and Diestro at the 2016 Movement Disorders Conference in Berlin where he chaired a session on XDP

At the Movement Disorders Society conference in Berlin.

"Neurology is that branch of medicine where logic backs each step, from diagnosis to therapy. It is the only medical specialty where basic science plays a significant role, even in clinical decision making (ergo Dept of NeuroSciences). But despite this empiricism, localization remains to be an elegant art form that no other specialist can master except those specifically trained in it. I wanted to be a lawyer in elementary school, a scientist when I was in high school, and I wanted to be an artist when I was young. I ended up a doctor, but at least I went to Neuroscience and fulfilled all these dreams in a way."

Since his graduation he has been taking up his Doctorate in Life Sciences from the University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany (http://neurogenetics-luebeck.de/). His time there has primarily been spent working out the neurogenetics behind X-linked Dystonia Parkinsonism. He most recently won the Oppenheim's Prize from the German Dystonia Society for his work with XDP.

Winning the prize with his mentor Christine Klein

He went into neurogenetics primarily because, "Neurology has a huge rare disease burden, among all specialties; a lot of these rare diseases have underlying molecular genetic bases. No one should get left behind! Patients sufferring from neurogenetic rare diseases are vulnerable and typically neglected, because of absence of cure, poor understanding of disease mechanism, and because they form a very small demographic. The situation is unfair to them, and is especially disadvantageous in a poor country like the Philippines where resources have to go to epidemiologically more significant illnesses. But I want to be that one who cares for those unique cases, no matter how rare."

Touring XDP Data Blitz 2016 attendees at his lab

Right after his graduation this year Aloy is set to complete his post-doctoral fellowship in Massachusetts General Hospital. The Filipinos eagerly await his return as the country's foremost expert on Neurogenetics.