January 30, 2022 — With the theme “Advancing Public Health Research in the Now Normal,” the College of Public Health (CPH) hosted its second research colloquium for BS Public Health students as part of its 95th Foundation Day and 57th year celebration as a SEAMEO Center. The colloquium had breakout sessions for natural products, biomedical science, and population health during the oral presentations.
“This event not only provides our students [with] a venue to disseminate their study findings and to be trained in research communications; but is also a testimonial to the college’s commitment and dedication to continue [being] a leader in public health education, research, and public service under any circumstance, even during a pandemic,” stated CPH Dean Vicente Belizario, Jr.
Dr. Armando Crisostomo, Vice Chancellor for Research, noted that the pandemic uncovered various flaws in the public healthcare systems of countries around the world. He underlined that research will aid in surveillance and monitoring, allow us to be more proactive in our reaction to any pandemic or health crisis, and strengthen our public health systems.
Chancellor Carmencita Padilla asserted that the pandemic has been generating rich themes and areas for public health research that UP Manila students should take advantage of for their theses, dissertations, and actual research. She added that students discussing their investigations with a wider and bigger audience will boost their confidence and capacity not only to do research; but more importantly to present what they have done and advocate for their utilization and translation.
Awardees
The research, Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile of Escherichia coli isolates from Pasig River by Raiza Klarisse Alcala, David Cege Cagaanan, Robertine May Gozun, Marion Rodelle Miñano and Nadine Angeline Tumbocon received the award for Best Visual Abstract. This study highlighted the role of environmental transmission, particularly surface waters, in the emergence and persistence of resistant pathogens; and ultimately called for strengthened surveillance to mitigate the threat of infection and also beat AMR.
The Dean’s Award for Outstanding Student Research for Natural Products went to Bioefficacy of the crude extract of the wild leek, Allium ampeloprasum L. (Amaryllidaceae), against the larval stages of Aedes aegypti L. (Culicidae) by Ashia Abdulcarim, Mark Isaiah Baligod, Francheska Sophia Dela Cruz, Charlene Joyce Ordonez, and Michael Yu. The results showed the presence of bioactive compounds with larvicidal properties and featured A. ampeloprasum L. as a potential source of a plant-based larvicide.
For Outstanding Student Research for Biomedical Science, the research In vitro Evaluation of Mitochondrial DNA Markers of Paragonimus westermani using Polymerase Chain Reaction by Jirov Advincula, Frances Danielle Candido, Louise Victoria Carpio, Wade Montgomery Rosales, and Gideon John Tuliao took the top prize. It evaluated a number of designed primers using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for Paragonimiasis detection.
Chosen as the Outstanding Student Research on Population Health was the research Association of comprehensive knowledge on HIV/AIDS and discriminatory attitudes among Filipino women towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) by Jeanine Gaudia, Raeann Renee Mariano, Larkin Stahl Septimo, Brian Arth Urbano, and Daphne Di Valdestamon. It highlighted the necessity to integrate necessary concepts on comprehensive knowledge that are culturally-sensitive and inclusive to existing interventions in appropriate settings such as Information, Education and Communication materials in school, social media, and workplace to reduce discrimination in the country.
Charmaine Lingdas
