Diana Alcantara-Payawal, MD

Biography

Professor Diana Alcantara-Payawal currently serves as Professor II at Fatima University Medical Center and Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at Fatima University Medical Center–Valenzuela. She also chairs the Liver Committee under the Section of Gastroenterology at Cardinal Santos Medical Center, where she likewise leads the Committee on Continuing Medical Education.

Prof. Payawal is internationally recognized for her leadership in global medical organizations. She is the Director of the Asian Pacific Digestive Week Federation (2024–2026) and will serve as Chairperson of the World Congress of Internal Medicine–Manila in 2028. Her editorial contributions include roles as Associate Editor of Hepatology International and editorial board member of the World Journal of Gastroenterology and the Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine. Acknowledging her expertise, she was appointed to the Health Technology Assessment Council – Commission on Professional Specialization of the Philippine Department of Health.

Her previous positions further underscore a distinguished career: Past Editor-in-Chief of the Philippine Journal of Gastroenterology and Past President of four major professional societies—the Philippine College of Physicians, the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL), the Hepatology Society of the Philippines, and the Philippine Society of Gastroenterology. These roles reflect her commitment to advancing medical education, research, and clinical excellence in the Philippines and abroad. She also serves on the Steering Committee of the Asian Pacific Study of the Liver, attesting to her ongoing influence in hepatology at the global level. Recently, she established the Leadership in Women Committee of the APASL.

Academically, Prof. Payawal holds a Diploma in Leadership in Healthcare Management from Harvard Medical School and a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases from the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization. Her postgraduate training includes fellowships in Hepatology, Interventional Sonology, and Digestive Endoscopy at the University of Tokyo and in Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy at the University of Santo Tomas, Philippines.

A prolific researcher, Prof. Payawal has contributed to over 100 research papers and collaborative publications in hepatology and gastroenterology. Her academic work has significantly enriched these disciplines' scientific understanding and clinical practice. .