Destura, Raul V.
DLSHSI Medicine 1996
2015
DLSAA Lasallian Achievement Awardee
Medicine - "for his landmark contributions to the field of medicine and health sciences, particularly for developing the dengue LAMP kit which can detect the disease on the first day of fever, thereby allowing immediate treatment and the saving of lives"
Specializing in infectious diseases and molecular biology, Dr. Destura has been recognized many times over in the medical community for his groundbreaking work. He received a research scholarship grant for the International Training and Fellowship on Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Center for Global Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine. Dr. Destura worked there as a research fellow and collaborator in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for Excellence in Biodefense Research primarily on low-dose enteric pathogens. He was also the TOYM 2011 Awardee for Medical Research and honored for developing the Dengue LAMP Test Kit. Thanks to his breakthrough, it is now possible to detect dengue as early as the first day of fever. As a result, this innovation allows for an early diagnosis, saving countless lives in the process. His other grants include the Bill and Melinda Gates Travel Scholarship Grant for Molecular Helminthology as well as the Infectious Disease Society of America Travel Grant for Excellence in Research. At present, Dr. Destura continues to be a leading authority as director for the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology for the National Institute of Health in U.P. Manila. He has won several prestigious awards and accolades, earning him the admiration and respect of his esteemed peers.