Dr. Nazarea finished both his bachelors and masters degree from the University of the Philippines and his doctorate degree from the University of Chicago specializing in theoretical biology and biophysics. He acquired his Post Doctoral degree from the Faculte des Sciences, Free University in Brussels.

He was elected as an Academician in 1990 under the Chemical, Mathematical and Physical Sciences Division (CMPSD) for his contributions to the theories on biophysics and recombinant biotechnology including his own conceptual framework on the structure of RNA/DNA probes. With his internationally cited scientific work and theoretical know how, he has laid the foundation for the design of synthetic vaccines on a sounder molecular basis, using Debye-Waller crystallographic data and other biophysical parameters.

At the crossroads of the country's technological surge, his role in the development of biophysics and biotechnology is both pivotal and timely.