Maria Karren Sta. Maria, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, is currently a consultant at Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital in Central Luzon, City of Pampanga, Philippines. She is the main HIV care provider of children and adolescents who are enrolled in the institution. After her fellowship training at the University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital, she took an observership training at the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University where she focused on learning HIV prevention, diagnosis and management in pediatrics. In 2023 she was granted a scholarship by the School of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and took an elective course in the same institution. She is passionate on the improvement of HIV-related maternal and child care services in her area of practice and in promoting HIV awareness among Filipino healthcare workers. This year, she was chosen as one of the awardees of the Penta Brighter Future Award.
