Carmencita Padilla

Carmencita M. David-Padilla is a Filipino clinical geneticist and pediatrician who is recognized as a National Scientist of the Philippines.

Education Dra. Padilla accomplished her pre-medicine degree at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman in 1976. She moved to the UP Manila campus where she finished her degree in Doctor of Medicine in 1981. Dra. Padilla completed a fellowship in clinical genetics at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children in Australia. She returned to Manila to practice pediatric and genetic medicine. In 2005, she obtain a Master's Degree in Health Policy Studies (MHPS) at UP Manila.

Career Newborn screening Dra. Padilla is a leading advocate for newborn screening. She and her colleagues helped to establish the Newborn Screening System (NBS) in the Philippines, which began as a data gathering project in Metro Manila in 1996. She is the founding president of the Newborn Screening Society of the Philippines.

Philippine Genome Center Padilla helped in the establishment of the Philippine Genome Center in 2009, and has been serving for at least three terms. Her term ended in October 31, 2023. She was a professor in pediatrics in the institution.

Honors and recognition On August 31, 2023, Padilla was conferred the Order of National Scientists by President Bongbong Marcos for her contributions in the field of medicine. The following year, she was a laureate of the Asian Scientist 100 by the Asian Scientist.