For his significant 
contributions in the fields of complex networks, self- organization, nonlinear forecasting, granular matter, physics education and psychophysics, Dr. Christopher Monterola was chosen as one of the grantees of the Outstanding Young Scientist (OYS) award conferred by the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST Phl). The said award is given to outstanding young individuals not more than 40 years old (in the year of the award) who has demonstrated significant contributions to science and technology.
His work on complex networks analysis demonstrated that neural networks can benefit from ambient noise in both temporal and spatial processing of information and provided understanding of the crack propagation in woven fabrics and multilevel marketing. He and co-workers demonstrated mathematically that self-organization such as herding of animals, firing of neurons, avalanche dynamics in granular materials can be achieved even in dissipative environment, in contrast with prevalent views. His work on analytic and numerical models with scaled experiments has helped understand the clogging and stability of granular systems.
Further, he showed that nonlinear forecasting tools such as neural networks combined with statistical filtering techniques can be used in accurate forecasting of the behavior of undecided population in an opinion poll, hit songs, chalk use and author attribution, as well as for information propagated in a classroom. His latest research focused on the use of physics undergraduate and graduate students in physics. His research works are well documented in various international journals.
Dr. Monterola is a successful scientist who is capable of formulating and carrying out interesting research topics on his own or in collaboration with colleagues and students. He has been consistent despite the prevailing unfavorable socio-economic conditions that have made the pursuit of high-level scientific research doubly difficult in the country.
He is among the active members in numerous professional organizations, such as the Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas, International Institute of Forecasters, and the Instrumentation Physics Laboratory. His published articles totaled 29, six index articles, and 94 citations, including two book chapters and eight national refereed journals.
Dr. Monterola has been recipient to various awards, like the Gawad Chanselor: Best Published Research (2002), National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) Achievement award for Physics (2008), and the UP Centennial Professorial awardee (2008, 2009, and 2010 respectively).
He obtained his B.S. in Applied Physics (magna cum laude) at the University of the Philippines Diliman (1997). Similarly, Dr. Monterola finished his masters and doctorate degrees in Physics at the stated in 1999 and 2002, respectively. He had pursued his Postdoctoral Fellowship at Max Planck Institute for the Physics of the Complex Systems in Dresden, Germany.
Currently, Dr. Monterola is Associate Professor 7 at the National Institute of Physics; Coordinator, Instrumentation Physics Laboratory; and Chair, Academic Personnel Committee. Luningning Samarita, Executive Director, NAST
