Mariano Marcos
State University

Visiting researcher concludes engagement at MMSU with lab training, research consultations

By Ian Paul Villanueva

Capping a month of research collaboration, visiting researcher Dr. Kristine Joy Chua of the University of Notre Dame concluded her engagement at Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in the last week of July with a series of laboratory trainings and research consultations. 

Last July 22, Dr. Chua guided third-year BS Biology and BS Pharmacy students in the Training on Biospecimen Data Collection and Processing for Downstream Analysis. The students were instructed on the process of separating blood plasma and serum through centrifugation, as well as in the principles of biospecimen handling, proper labeling, and storage techniques that are essential for downstream analyses. 

In the afternoon, Ms. Jessica Asuncion and Ms. Donna Mae Fronda facilitated the ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) training, where students performed hands-on experiments to quantify proteins and biomarkers.

Besides the training, Dr. Chua and researchers from the Center for Histomodeling and Biocomputing in Applied Biomedical Research (HiBAR), the Cellular and Molecular Medical Research, and the Research Directorate also held consultations, where potential partnerships for future research proposals were conceptualized and outlined.

Earlier this month, Dr. Chua led a lecture on maternal stress and pregnancy in which MMSU researchers and students actively engaged in open forums. She also represented Notre Dame in a memorandum of understanding with MMSU and Northwestern University, where the three institutions set up general terms for research collaborations, as well as faculty, researcher, and student exchanges.

A simple closing program at the HiBAR laboratory at the College of Arts and Sciences finally capped her month-long stay in MMSU, where Dr. Doreen Domingo, Chief of HiBAR, gave a short message and handed her a token of gratitude. Ultimately, Dr. Chua’s visit marks another significant step in strengthening the university's international linkages and expanding its capacity for high-impact biomedical research.