Iris Bea Ramiro
Bea grew up in the island province of Bohol in the Philippines. She has been surrounded by nature all her life which led to her interest in natural products, initially from plants and now from venomous marine gastropods.
She discovered a hormone-like peptide from slow-hunting cone snails, which has biomedical applications. She loves sharing her insights into the fascinating world of cone snails through science education and outreach projects. Having recently finished her PhD, she is continuing her research at Helena Safavi's lab at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.
When she is out of the lab, Bea is a photography enthusiast who enjoys traveling and exploring the outdoors.
Let's start by talking a bit about your childhood and where you grew up.
I grew up in Bohol, which is an island province in the Philippines. I have a younger brother, and, like any typical Filipino family, we grew up living very close to our aunts and uncles. So even if it was just the two of us siblings, my brother and I always played with our cousins — it was a very communal upbringing.
Bohol is known for its natural beauty — the Chocolate Hills, the tarsiers, the white sand beaches. Growing up there, I was always surrounded by nature, and I think that really influenced my interest in biology and natural products.
What drew you to cone snails?
[TODO: fill in] — Full interview text to be added. The interview covers Bea's transition from plant natural products to marine gastropod research, her discovery of a hormone-like peptide in cone snails, and her work at Helena Safavi's lab at the University of Copenhagen.
Your outreach work
[TODO: fill in] — This section covers Bea's science education and outreach activities, including her work with the Science Corps program and public engagement around cone snail research.