Pia Bagamasbad conducted the first DOH-accredited RT-PCR training programme at the pandemic's peak. The SARS-CoV-2 Testing Training Program was developed and implemented by Bagamasbad and her team at the University of the Philippines Diliman’s National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB), where she also serves as its director.

Before starting her academic career in the Philippines, she was a research fellow at the University of Michigan, where she also completed her PhD in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology.

Undertaking life sciences research in the Philippines is challenging for several reasons: “First, the cost of doing life science research is more expensive here than in first-world countries. Second, the government procurement process, though designed to curb graft and corruption, has become a significant barrier to the progress and implementation of research programmes. The procurement process alone may take three to 12 months; in other countries, this is already sufficient time to develop a breakthrough.”

“Third, to address the great need for our country to build a critical mass of STEM professionals to usher social and economic development, we must mentor and retain Filipino talent. And yet, because of the shortage of PhD level mentors, most of our accomplished scientists are buried neck-deep in administrative work instead of having more time for mentoring and research.”

In early 2023, she and her student Weand Ybanez discovered the Kruppel-like factor 9 (KLF9), a gene that stifles tumour growth and connects the development of breast cancer to stress and sleep health. Considering that the Philippines has one of the highest breast cancer mortality rates in Asia, Bagasmad is hoping to contribute a new dimension to understanding the disease.