Five teams from the University of the Immaculate Conception College of Medical and Biological
Sciences (CMBS) and College of Pharmacy and Chemistry (CPC) won multiple awards in the 11th
Health R&D Expo.
The event was organized by the Regional Health Research and Development Consortium of Davao
Region (RHRDC XI) in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology XI (DOST XI) and Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) on November 15-16, 2021. The theme was “Health R&D Solutions in the Fight Against Covid-19”. In the Oral Competition undergraduate category, UIC Pharmacy students Salma Khaina Alang, Ryyann Dagadas, Shaira Masul, and Arfah Porza placed first with their study “Perceptions and Lived Experiences of Patient-Consumers and Community Pharmacists on Direct-to-Consumer Drug Advertising (DTCDA) in Cotabato City” while the Medtech students of UIC CMBS George Carr Plaza, Hasmin Alempang, Ynan Bab Shariff Boquia, Kaecey Airen Gonzales, Kyoko Japitan, and Shaina Grace Parba landed second for their study “Forecasting Dengue Cases in Davao City Administrative Districts from 2020 to 2025 utilizing Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) Model”.
In the Poster Competition undergraduate category, UIC students of both CMBS and CPC programs got the top three spots. The competition featured an infographic version of students’ research abstracts. The poster that took the gold was “A Retrospective Study on the Success Rates of Antiretroviral Therapy and Adherence of Antiretroviral Naive Patients in an HIV Treatment Hub in Davao City, Philippines”. It was a collaborative effort of students Jesille Mae Legarta, Princess Faiqah Brahim, Aireen Salva, Stephanie Kate Arriola, Reigner A. Escartin, and Dennis Louis Braza. Following them were two teams from UIC CPC who placed second and third.
The purpose of the event was to “bring together the health research community from private and public sectors and provide a platform for oral and poster presentations of completed research undertakings of professional and student researchers in the region.”
In another event, CPC students placed second in the undergraduate level of the Philippine Pharmacists Association (PPhA) National Research Competition 2021 for their research titled “Pharmacist-led Interventions on Medication Adherence and Quality of Life of Hypertensive Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”. The UIC Team is composed of Josiah Embalsado, Christine Jade Biare, Loise Marielle Labajo, and Christian Paul Pataray, all Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy senior students. They received their certificate of recognition during the Innovation, Collaboration, and Promotion of Pharmaceutical Sciences Webinar Series via Zoom and was shared with the public via Facebook Live through the PPhA’s official Facebook page. Josiah Embalsado, a member of the UIC said that it was an honor for them to represent the school nationally. He added that it was an experience to remember especially with renowned panelists and competing against other prestigious institutions across the country. The competition was held during PPhA’s celebration of its 101st anniversary.