My faith has always been central to my life. I thank God for my single mom, who raised me with pride and dignity. She did everything to feed, clothe, and shelter us. We were very poor, but despite the hardship, I never heard my mom complain or blame anyone; she faced her circumstances with honor. She made sure that her past would not define our future, a virtue that influences me to this day. She named me Evangelyn, which means “bearer of good news.” I was her pride; she wanted that name to be a prophecy.
I was born in a small town on one of the central islands in the Philippines, an archipelago of 7100 islands (more during low tide!). I grew up with supportive aunts, uncles, and cousins; there was never a dull moment. Our favorite pastime was swimming in the nearby ocean. We never had swimming lessons, and we didn’t wear bathing suits or goggles; we learned to swim by doing — with our shorts on, eyes open.
My one-day diving lesson occurred when my cousins threw me into the deep water, and I managed to surface. Diving was a necessary skill because one of our favorite games was throwing a soda bottle into the deep water. Whoever emerged with the bottle in hand won.
I knew early on that a good education was my ticket out of poverty. But how? I graduated valedictorian in elementary school and was eligible to enter high school with free tuition. But what about school supplies, food, and clothing?
A prominent benefactor in the community was God-sent. He challenged me, stating that if I continued to excel and get free tuition, he would give me the money for my personal needs. I took that as a formula: study hard, get a scholarship, and earn money.
By God’s grace, I graduated valedictorian in high school and was admitted with a scholarship to Silliman University, the top university in the province where I grew up. Every year, I implemented the formula. Additionally, my aunt on my mother’s side and her family let me live with them in their apartment, so my lodging was free.
Four years later, I graduated cum laude with a BS in chemistry and immediately got a teaching job at a medical school located in the south of the country. However, early in the semester, one of my friends died in a tragic accident. Shocked, I thought, “Is this all there is to life, to live and die?” His sudden death triggered three existential questions: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?
These questions haunted me; the fear of death gripped my daily existence. After the academic year, I left my teaching job to pursue graduate education in chemistry/plant physiology at the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB), located in the north of the country. There, I found the answer to my questions and discovered my identity.
Jeremiah 29:11 from the Bible says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I could hardly believe that the Creator of the universe had an excellent plan for me! Who am I that I should deserve it? Unfathomable! Then I had a paradigm shift; there is a difference between what I think and who I am. Although I may feel like a fatherless nobody, I am somebody in the eyes of God. I decided then to make my life count for eternity. Hope and a future are waiting for me!
To finance my graduate education, I worked full-time in a government agency. Later, I met the man who would be my husband; he was doing his graduate study in plant sciences while also working full-time.
Michigan State University
In 1982, through a USAID scholarship, I had an opportunity to pursue an MS/PhD program in the United States in the Department of Systems Science and Electrical Engineering at Michigan State University. My husband received a graduate assistantship to pursue his PhD in plant sciences as well. Our time as students at MSU was full of exciting and fun memories enriched by American friends and fellow international students.
International Fellowships. As foreigners, we were homesick for our community, culture, food, and ways of life. When I discovered that this feeling of homesickness was true for other international students, we opened our small on-campus apartment to become a “home away from home.” We organized Friday evening gatherings at home and Sunday morning fellowships at our church, where we could come together for community interaction. We studied the Bible together and shared God’s Word to encourage each other. We laughed, ate, played, and prayed for each other. We realized that life’s challenges during the week became bearable when the burdens were shared; weekly schoolwork struggles became less stressful. We eagerly looked forward to the weekend: Friday was coming! The Sunday morning fellowships prepared us to face the coming week’s challenges. Our international Friday fellowship continues to this day.
Holidays. Our favorite family holidays are Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our Thanksgiving dinner guests were international students from many parts of the world. Our house would be packed with as many as 30 guests with sit-down dinner tables spread around our tiny house. The unique feature was the roasted turkey, something that many international students had never seen before. Everyone was fascinated by the traditional meal. We told riddles and shared funny experiences and stories. There was laughter through the night. The MSU campus closes the dorms during Christmas breaks, so international students not traveling during the holidays needed temporary housing. Once, we had eight students packed in our tiny house. The fun part was the international cuisine during mealtime. Some of the students loved to cook, so we experienced ethnic meals in the comfort of our home.
Free Global Travel. While a student, I had the privilege of getting a round-the-world airline ticket for free. I couldn’t afford to pay for lodging, meals, and other incidental expenses, but my international friends came to the rescue! Through their relatives and network of friends, I was able to visit 10 countries in six weeks, staying with friends of my friends! You see, in my culture, the friend of my friend is also my friend.
Cultural Differences. Early on, I realized that U.S. culture is different from Philippine culture. For example, accepting a personal invitation at the first offer is not polite in Filipino culture; it must be extended several times before it is accepted. I learned my lesson the hard way when I was in an American home where I was offered a glass of juice. Although I was thirsty, I said, “It’s okay,” a typical Filipino response to the first offer. Expecting it to be offered again, I was surprised to see the glass returned to the kitchen. I suffered through my thirst the whole time I was there.
Language Differences. With close to 200 living languages, the Philippines is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. However, the two official languages are Filipino and English, and the literacy rate is 98%. I started learning English in elementary school because English was one of the subjects to study, and then, English was the medium of instruction in high school and college/university. After coming to the United States, I discovered that the English language is one of the most confusing languages. The exact words can have different meanings and opposite meanings, depending on the usage — for example, the word “read.” You read the article (future); I have read the article (past). Same word! This does not happen in the Filipino language! How about this, “When the crowd left, the band was left.” Are you not confused yet? I am! The other challenging aspect of the English language is the use of idioms. The first book I bought was a book on idioms to help me understand what the crowd was laughing about. “I’m going to hit the sack” (an expression for going to sleep). Why not say plainly, “I’m going to sleep”? The direct statement is more efficient in word count (4) than the idiom (6)!
The other funny experience is the greetings. In the U.S., people are very friendly with their “How are you?” which doesn’t require a serious response. But for us, this is a serious question. When we stop to answer, the person is gone. We scratch our heads in confusion. On the other hand, the Philippine greeting is “Where are you going?” For us, this is equivalent to “How are you?” It doesn’t need a serious response; however, Americans find the question irritating and nosy! Ha, ha, ha! Gotcha!
Weather Differences. Early at MSU, I noticed that whenever my American friend called his family, he would first ask, “How’s the weather?” I wondered why, since there are only two types of weather in the Philippines: dry and rainy. The whole country works in lockstep according to this pattern. When I questioned my friend, he graciously explained that California’s weather is different from Michigan’s. Winter in Michigan does not necessarily mean winter in other parts of the United States. Oh, I see!
Heavenly Snow. One snowy day on my way home from class to our on-campus apartment, I was walking behind a father and his young son. Having never experienced the love or hug of a father, seeing them made me wonder what it would be like to have a father. Suddenly a flash came to me: the Lord God, who has a wonderful plan for me, has always been my father! I ran to our apartment and shared it excitedly, “I have a father! All this time, I have a father.” I will never forget that feeling of immeasurable joy — the joy of belonging! I felt like I finally found my place; the puzzle was complete!
Graduation and Back to the Philippines
After submitting my PhD thesis manuscript to graduate school, I asked myself, “What’s next?” For some reason I still cannot explain, three words popped into my head: biosystems engineering. As far as I knew, biosystems engineering as a discipline did not exist at the time. What I did recognize was that my own technical background in chemistry, plant physiology, systems science, and electrical engineering actually converged. I would go on to help define this field.
As soon as we graduated, my husband and I were both offered post-doc positions at MSU. My position was in the Department of Agricultural Engineering, where I saw how systems concepts in engineering could be applied to solving complex problems in biological and agricultural systems.
Although the post-doc positions were exciting and professionally enriching, we felt it was time to return to the Philippines and serve our country. In 1991, we packed up and returned home. My husband and I both got good-paying jobs. Life was good, and we were content to settle in the Philippines.
In 1992, I took a three-month consulting job in Australia. Though short, it was memorable. My colleagues were kind and helpful; my friends were wonderful. I learned to cook lamb. I biked everywhere. While there, MSU called and recruited me to return as a faculty member. My mission would be to help the department transition from the traditional agricultural engineering degree to something more biological. This was exactly what I had envisioned for the field, so I accepted.
Back to the United States
In 1993, my husband and I were back at MSU. The same year, I gave birth to a cherished son, a true blessing from the Lord! For 16 years of marriage, we had been praying for a child, but we wanted it the “natural” way — without medical intervention. So, when I became pregnant, we couldn’t thank God enough for granting us a miracle child. He was a real blessing and a delight. Now grown, our son finished mechanical engineering at MSU and completed his ROTC training. He chose to serve his country and was commissioned as a military officer upon graduation. We are very proud of him!
Parenting. Parenting during my early faculty career was challenging. I pay tribute to my husband, who sacrificed his career to raise our son. Instead of taking a job in his field that would require a daily commute, he worked outside his chosen profession to ensure that we were together as a family.
We reminded ourselves that years from now, our research or publications might not be remembered, but our son would never forget what we did with him — a perspective that I share with colleagues every chance I get. Our children are the next generation that will carry the torch. While we spend time teaching our students, we should not neglect to teach our children as well.
Biosystems Engineering. Within a couple of years of my return to MSU, the department faculty decided to officially change the agricultural engineering (AE) degree program to the biosystems engineering (BE) degree program. The department name was also changed to the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering. That was my dream come true! God’s plan in action!
The first woman faculty member in the department, I had the privilege of providing extensive input in developing the curriculum for the new four-year BE degree program. I created from scratch two undergraduate courses and two graduate courses. These are now part of the core BE curriculum. Shortly after, I published a book entitled Principles of Biosystems Engineering. I was also the lead faculty in developing the biomedical engineering (BME) concentration in BE.
For the BME concentration, I created two brand-new courses on biosensors for medical diagnostics — one for senior-level undergraduate students and one for graduate students. I realized that diagnostic technologies need to be translated into valuable products or services to benefit society, so I created a course on entrepreneurial engineering for innovation in health and safety. The course is also part of the entrepreneurship and innovation minor at the university level.
Saving Lives. My transdisciplinary training in chemistry, biology, systems, and engineering came in handy when I started working on biosensors as point-of-care devices. The tragic events associated with terrorism on September 11, 2001 solidified my passion for the research topic when anthrax spores later were released through the postal system as a weapon of mass destruction. There was a national emergency to detect anthrax quickly to minimize widespread casualties.
Since then, I have committed my research goal to saving lives, protecting the nation, and sustaining the economy by diagnosing infectious diseases early, rapidly, inexpensively, and simply through point-of-care biosensing techniques.
As nanotechnology became an emerging science, I realized that nanotechnology-based biosensors offered a technology path for me. I designed and developed nanotechnology-enabled biosensors for the real-time detection of biowarfare pathogens. Later, I became aware of the diagnostic needs of infectious and antimicrobial-resistant diseases.
The emerging field of genomic sequencing opened a novel combination for nanogenomics in biosensor designs. I developed nanogenomics biosensing assays for enterohemorrhagic foodborne and waterborne pathogens, tuberculosis (TB), dengue, and other infectious diseases.
My lab also works on developing multiplex nanobiosensors to detect antimicrobial-resistant pathogens rapidly. Recently, we have been developing a biosensor for point-of-care detection of COVID-19.
Tuberculosis is personal to me, as two of my mother’s siblings died from the disease. Globally, TB kills 1.5 million people yearly and orphans 10 million children. Tuberculosis primarily affects the poor and vulnerable populations. Treatment takes months, so TB patients spiral down into poverty even more.
One of the major bottlenecks of TB control is testing. Conventional sputum smear microscopy has an average sensitivity of 50%, and culture takes eight weeks. PCR takes a shorter time but is expensive. The majority of deaths occur in low-income countries. Furthermore, TB is associated with many comorbidities with high fatalities, such as TB/HIV and TB/COVID.
My passion for helping the very poor was heightened when I visited a Mayan community in the highlands of southern Mexico, where TB cases were higher compared with the general population. At that time, only about 7 million of these people remained in the world.
There, I realized that providing community healthcare in resource-poor settings requires a paradigm shift in the diagnostic design. The diagnostic must be simple, affordable, accessible, robust, sensitive, specific, and electricity-free. The cost of diagnosis must be less than the gross annual income of the patients paying for it. I thought the Mayans would go extinct if no one could help them with their healthcare needs. I could make a difference by improving the diagnostic performance of testing for TB.
Pretty soon, we had a breakthrough. Using magnetic nanoparticles, we increased TB detection to 99% at the cost of less than one U.S. dollar. The assay could be completed in 20 minutes using an existing bright-field microscope that is readily available in TB laboratories. The sensitivity is comparable to the expensive PCR test and eight-week culture method. I thought, “If our technologies could save one life, just one life, it’s all worth the investment of my time.”
GARD. One day, I recognized that there is strength in numbers; the needs of poor communities can be solved not by one but by many with the same vision and through transdisciplinary ways.
I called my friends and colleagues in various disciplines from around the world and presented the challenge of addressing the diagnostic needs of the destitute — those who need help the most but can afford the least. Thankfully, they agreed to join forces.
Thus, in 2016, the Global Alliance for Rapid Diagnostics (GARD) was born. GARD’s vision is to prevent illness, save lives, and improve quality of life through rapid diagnostics. GARD is a community of researchers and scientists from multidisciplinary backgrounds, a peer-to-peer network of equals committed to improving global health by reducing infectious diseases through early diagnosis. GARD’s motto is “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.” (Psalm 82:3).
GARD has three pillars: research, innovation, and capacity building. We organize forums, host Innovation Challenge events, and share short courses. GARD is organized into seven regions — six continental and one transcontinental: East and Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Asia-Africa. A coordinator heads each group. Forums are scheduled to follow the sun across continents.
Research is mainly focused on infectious and antimicrobial-resistant diseases of global concern applied to humans, animals, plants, water, and the ecosystem. We have developed nano-biosensing platforms for infectious and other emerging and transboundary diseases designed for resource-limited settings.
I experienced an aha moment when a faculty member said, “Your technologies will never save a life if they stay in your lab.” I realized then that research is not the end; ultimately, society needs to benefit from technologies developed by entrepreneurs. GARD holds innovation challenges to encourage students and researchers to do just that.
I created a three-credit entrepreneurship course at MSU and a short course on entrepreneurship for GARD. My lab also develops techniques and trains scientists on nanotechnology and biosensors. One of our significant accomplishments has been establishing nanotechnology and biosensor research in many institutions worldwide as new areas of inquiry and collaboration. In addition, we are creating short courses to teach scientists around the world the science and applications of nanotechnology and biosensors in solving real problems. The GARD Asia-Africa consortium is designed to cross-pollinate ideas across continents, optimizing resources for maximum impact.
There are many opportunities and challenges ahead for GARD. As long as we keep the faith and stay in the game, we will win. After all, quitting is not an option; there are too many people waiting to be saved. I firmly believe that the best is yet to come!
As to my first question, “Is this all there is to life, to live and die?” The answer is no; life is more than living. Life is living to count for eternity!
Editor’s note: Dr. Alocilja was among the 500 STEM trailblazers worldwide to be recognized in 2023 as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Excerpted from Lessons Learned: Stories from Women in Stem (American Association for Physician Leadership, 2023).