Leadership Team

Dr. Violeta Lopez, an adjunct professor at Central Queensland University and Visiting Professor at Holy Angel University, is a distinguished scholar in nursing. Her remarkable achievements include securing over S$5 million in research grants and publishing 300 journal articles, books, and book chapters. She is a respected peer reviewer and serves on the editorial boards of numerous international medical and nursing journals. In 2018, her exceptional contributions were globally acknowledged when she became the first Filipino nurse to be inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame. She also received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Obama in 2017. Prof Lopez’s mentorship has nurtured 25 international PhD students, and her esteemed reputation has led her to serve as an external examiner for 60 PhD students from eight countries.

Dr. Jed Montayre is an Associate Professor at the School of Nursing and Director of the Centre of Evidence-based Practice for Healthcare Policy. He holds the prestigious title of ‘Distinguished Educator in Gerontology Nursing,’ an international honor awarded by the National Hartford Centre in Gerontological Nursing in the US, representing the pinnacle of excellence in gerontology. This recognition acknowledges Jed’s outstanding contributions to teaching and research in gerontology nursing. Additionally, he serves as the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Australasian Journal on Ageing.

Dr. Dion Candelaria is an early-career researcher at Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of Sydney. Recently awarded a highly competitive Heart Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, Dion focuses on empowering patients to adopt secondary prevention behaviours and engage in cardiac rehabilitation to reduce the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events. His doctoral research, completed in 2023, examined how characteristics of cardiac rehabilitation service delivery impact patient-focused outcomes. For this work, Dion received the prestigious Research Dissertation Award from the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, becoming the first Australian (and Filipino) recipient of this honour.

Dr. Maria Cynthia (Cindy) Leigh, a Visiting Professor at Holy Angel University, has an extensive and diverse academic background. She served as the head of the School of Nursing at the Australian Catholic University, specializing in Nursing, Midwifery, and Paramedicine. Her journey began with a BSc and ten years of teaching in Botany/Institute of Biology at Diliman. She later earned a Ph.D. in Biotechnology through a Colombo Plan Scholarship at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Dr. Leigh continued to expand her expertise, transitioning to Nursing while working as an NH&MRC research associate at the School of Microbiology, UNSW. Her dedication to education spanned 25 years at the Australian Catholic University, where she held various teaching, research, and administrative roles. Dr. Leigh’s contributions were further recognized through her involvement as a DOST Balik Scientist.

Dr. Joemer Maravilla, a Research Fellow at Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, holds a PhD in Epidemiology and Public Health from the University of Queensland, Australia, where he continues his post-doctoral fellowship. He’s a prolific author with over 30 research articles published in esteemed journals like Lancet and British Medical Journal (BMJ). Joemer’s research focuses on reproductive health, adolescent health, and mental health, utilizing epidemiological methodologies and pragmatic approaches to identify social determinants and mental health risks. He’s well-versed in evidence synthesis, including meta-analytic methodologies, and has extensive experience in monitoring and evaluating health and social programs, collaborating with government and not-for-profit agencies worldwide.

Gladwin Maranon is an Instructor at Greystone College in Toronto, where he shares his expertise. Additionally, he serves as the President and CEO of Filcare Inc., showcasing his leadership and commitment to healthcare excellence. He is the founding VP for Business Development of the Pacific Nursing Service Organization based in the Philippines.

Jayson Catiwa is a dedicated Renal Vascular Access Nurse Consultant at a prestigious tertiary teaching hospital in Sydney, also pursuing a PhD at UNSW. With over a decade of renal nursing experience, he specializes in haemodialysis, vascular access, and has served both pediatric and adult renal patients across Australia. Jayson holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Nursing with Renal specialization from the University of Tasmania and actively mentors nursing students. He’s an engaged member of the European Vascular Access Society and the Renal Society of Australasia, where he has been a featured speaker and presenter at conferences. His unwavering commitment revolves around vein preservation, enhancing vascular access coordination, and improving outcomes for adult patients with end-stage kidney disease in haemodialysis settings.