I'm a tardigradologist who is interested in combining modern (-omics and dev-bio analyses) and fossil data to understand the evolution of tardigrades and their ecdysozoan relatives. I obtained my BS and MS in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of the Philippines - Diliman where I got trained in molecular biology techniques, phylogenetic analyses, and immunology work. My undergraduate and MS theses involved the study of Philippine tardigrades, including description of new species. I then became part of the Erasmus Mundus Master Programme in Evolutionary Biology (MEME) where I got two more MS degrees from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany (MS Evolution, Ecology, and Systematics) and Uppsala University, Sweden (MS Biology). My MS theses involved the use of genomic and transcriptomic data for bioinformatic analyses, such as phylogenomics and ancient human DNA population genomic analyses. During this time, I was trained how to work in an ancient DNA lab facility.