Visiting US researcher tackles maternal-fetal stress biology in MMSU lecture
By Ian Paul Villanueva
Eager to learn from a distinguished international scholar, Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) students and researchers filled the venue as Dr. Kristine Joy Chua, a visiting researcher from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, United States, delivered a special lecture on maternal stress and pregnancy at the Center for Flexible Learning on July 9.
Titled, “From Bench to Bedside: Interdisciplinary Research Approaches on Maternal Stress and Pregnancy,” Dr. Chua discussed coping strategies and maternal-fetal stress biology among pregnant Filipina women. She also shared current research projects that examine how the maternal immune system responds to fetal cells circulating throughout pregnancy.
Dr. Chua currently serves as the Director of the University of Notre Dame's Reproductive Biology and Evolution Laboratory. She also leads the Pinoy-Pinay Health Project, a research initiative that studies the influence of ecological stressors on maternal-fetal dynamics and their biological systems among pregnant Filipina women.
Recognizing the value of such expertise, Vice President for Administration and Finance Fides Bernardo Bitanga, who spoke on behalf of the university president, expressed the university’s commitment to collaborate with Dr. Chua and her institution, particularly in common-interest research areas. This was echoed by the welcome remarks given by Research Director Dionisio Bucao.
Jointly hosted and organized by the Center for Histomodeling and Biocomputing in Applied Biomedical Research (HiBAR), Cellular and Molecular Medical Research (CMED), and the Research Directorate (RD), the special lecture drew a multidisciplinary audience, including the deans, faculty members, and students of College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), College of Health Sciences, and College of Medicine, and the Graduate School, as well as researchers from HiBAR, CMED, and RD.
Before the special lecture, Dr. Chua had met with Dr. Bitanga for a courtesy call at the Office of the MMSU President, together with Dr. Mee Jay Domingo (VP for Planning and Strategic Foresight), Dr. Doreen Domingo (Graduate School Dean and Chief of HiBAR), Dr. Marlina Lino (CAS Dean), and Asst. Prof. Jessica Asuncion, BioImaging Lab Manager of HiBAR.
Dr. Chua’s stay at the university, which concludes on July 28, includes a hands-on training on “Biospecimen Data Collection and Processing for Downstream Analysis” for researchers, faculty members, and students. She will also be working with MMSU researchers and faculty to explore and develop potential research collaborations.
Jul, 15, 2026 04:54:pm
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