Scientific Leadership

Chris blends deep expertise in physics, AI, and complexity science with a commitment to advancing innovation and education. As the founding head of AIM’s Aboitiz School of Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, he has built programs and research hubs that bridge science, business, and real-world impact. His leadership at the ACCeSs Lab has resulted in multi-million-dollar initiatives addressing critical challenges in both public and private sectors. Beyond academia, he serves on corporate boards and national committees, including his role in shaping the Philippines’ AI roadmap and development strategies. His election to the National Academy of Science and Technology affirms his standing as a key scientific advisor in the country.

Previous Positions

  • Senior Scientist and Capability Group Manager of the Complex Systems (CxSy) Capability Group, Computing Science Department, Institute of High-Performance Computing, A*STAR, Singapore (August 2013-August 2017)
  • Principal Investigator/Scientific Director, Complex Systems Programme, A*STAR Urban Systems Initiative (2012-present)
  • Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Complexity Institute, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. (October 2015-2020)
  • Associate Professor 7, National Institute of Physics, UP Diliman (2005-2012)
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden (2003-2005)

Experience

  1. ASITE School Head

    Asian Institute of Management
    Chris is the founding school head of the Aboitiz School of Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (ASITE). ASITE is home to six academic programs, namely the Ph.D. in Data Science program, M.Sc. in Data Science, B.Sc. in Data Science and Business Administration, Master in Innovation and Business, Master in Entrepreneurship, and Master in Data Analytics.

  2. Professor of Data Science and AI

    Asian Institute of Management
    Prof. Monterola handles different courses on artificial intelligence and machine learning. He also mentors MSDS and PhD in Data Science students, training them in data science and artificial intelligence.

  3. Academic Program Director, Ph.D. in Data Science

    Asian Institute of Management
    Chris is the founding director of AIM’s PhD in Data Science, the first doctoral program in data science in the Philippines. The program is also known for producing the country’s first PhD graduates in Data Science.

  4. Co-Founder and Strategic Advisor

    CorteX Innovations, Corp.
    Chris is a co-Founder of tech company, CorteX Innovations, Corp. CorteX helps organizations design and execute practical data, AI, and digital transformation strategies—from governance and maturity assessment to real-world AI solutions.

Education

  1. Postdoctoral Fellow in Complex Systems

    Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems

  2. PhD Physics

    University of the Philippines Diliman

  3. MSc Physics

    University of the Philippines Diliman

  4. BSc Physics

    University of the Philippines Diliman