TWO alumnae of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology were awarded full doctoral scholarships by one of Europe’s finest research institutions.

Jessil Ann L. Pajar and Shiela Pearl R. Quiobe bested hundreds of applicants from other countries and secured the most sought-after PhD positions in Max Planck Research Institute in Germany.

“For her doctoral research, Ms. Pajar will investigate the biochemical interaction of nematodes, aphids, and their host plants under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Nicole van Dam in the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research,” the university said.

“Ms. Quiobe, on the other hand, will explore the neurobiology, genetic, and epigenetic mechanism of the nematode Pristionchus sp. with Prof. Dr. Ralf J. Sommer in Max Planck-Developmental Biology Research Group,” it added.

Pajar and Quiobe both finished their BS Biology degrees in MSU-IIT and obtained their master’s degree in Nematology from Ghent University in Belgium with high academic honors in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Prior to their postgraduate studies, they trained under the Nematology Research Group of the Premier Research Institute of Science and Mathematics.

The Max Planck Society is a known global leader in cutting-edge scientific research in the life and natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

The Nature Index, which highlights institutions and countries based on research, ranked Max Planck Society in 2018 as the third biggest producer of high-quality research next to Harvard University and China Academy of Sciences.