A conversation with
TED Fellows
Dr. Edsel Salvaña
“Every disaster movie begins with everyone ignoring the scientist.
I’m a scientist, now let’s change the ending”
A Scientist.
A Physician.
An Advocate.
Dr. Edsel Salvaña, a distinguished scientist, physician, and advocate for HIV/AIDS, has garnered multiple awards and gained international recognition. He chose to return to the Philippines through the Balik (Returning) Scientist Program of the Department of Science and Technology to focus on tropical medicine and address local infectious diseases. He was a key health advisor to the Filipino government in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and was responsible for the swift lockdowns and preventive measures taken by the health cabinet.
Before his return to the Philippines, his research focused on the molecular pathogenesis of lymphatic filariasis, and he authored a seminal and widely-referenced review article on infectious diseases, as well as contributed to updating various chapters on tropical medicine in Nelson’s Textbook of Pediatrics, a renowned global resource in the field.
“We’re bad communicators.
We’ve got to get better.”
Edsel shared that the TED Fellows Program’s emphasis on communication skills was paramount in improving his ability to translate his research into concrete and effective change. Working in the stigma-filled HIV space, Edsel often struggled with communicating his knowledge with the media, as his message was always misinterpreted.
The skills Edsel picked up from the TED Fellows Program allowed him to overcome his constant frustration as he learnt how to take ownership of his message and ideas. He incorporated these skills into his writing and eventually started writing his own articles as a freelancer in Esquire magazine and now has a weekly column in the biggest newspaper in the Philippines.
Edsel was further able to use his newfound communication skills to spearhead a movement during the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was able to gain an audience with the Filipino government and gave a crucial presentation to convey his unprecedented ideas to convince the country to go into a complete lockdown. It ended up being a huge success as the government implemented all of his ideas and thousands of lives were saved.
Edsel believes that everyone should be cognisant of the fact that we are all bad communicators and in order to make a difference we have to get better at it. The tools we use to communicate our ideas are as important, if not more, than the idea itself and hence everyone should make an effort to acquire these tools in our everyday lives.
