LABORATORY MEMBERS
Faculty Members
Dr. Ian Kim Tabios
Co-Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor (Animal Physiology)
Affiliate of the UP College of Medicine and UPLB Zoonoses Center
Research interest: Public health biology, Parasitology
Contact info: ibtabios2@up.edu.ph
I am a medical researcher engaged in projects addressing diseases of public health importance in the Philippines. My research centers on applying molecular biology to public health, emphasizing the provision of laboratory and community-derived evidence to inform policy and decision-making.
In addition to conducting research and providing training, I teach basic and advanced courses in animal physiology, medical microbiology, and parasitology.
Raffy Jay Fornillos
Co-Principal Investigator
Instructor (Ecology and Taxonomy)
Affiliate of the UPLB Zoonoses Center
Research interest: Molecular Parasitology, Medical Malacology
Contact info: rfcfornillos@up.edu.ph
Research Collaborators
Dr. Ourlad Alzeus Tantengco
Adjunct Faculty | College of Medicine, UP Manila
Research Interests: OB-GYN, Molecular Medicine
Dr. Sheriah Laine de Paz-Silava
Associate Professor | College of Public Health, UP Manila
Research Interests: Virology, Molecular Medicine
Dr. Ian Kendrich Fontanilla
Professor and Director | Institute of Biology , UP Diliman
Research Interests: Molecular Genetics
Dr. Lydia Leonardo
Professor Emeritus | College of Public Health, UP Manila
Research Interests: Parasitology, Medical Malacology
Dr. Aleyla de Cadiz
Professor | UP Mindanao
Research Interests: Microbiology, Parasitology
Research Associates
Amina Kunting
Project Technical Specialist I (NO STD)
MS Biology candidate | IB, UP Diliman
Mikayla de Guzman
Project Technical Assistant II (NO STD)
Kert Verdan
Project Technical Assistant I (NO STD)
MS Public Health student | CPH, UP Manila
Ralph Benedic Bucao
Science Research Associate (XDP)
MS Biology student | IB, UP Diliman
John David Endriga
Science Research Associate (XDP)
MS Biology student | IB, UP Diliman
Students
Ongoing
Aaron Vince Catipon, MS Biology student, UP Diliman | Fish-borne zoonotic trematodes diversity
Rashelle Mabag, MS Microbiology student, UP Diliman | Detection of sexually transmitted infections (STI)
Janella Redrino, MS Microbiology student, UP Diliman | Sponge-associated microbe drug discover
Jose Gerald Pediengco, MS Biology student, UP Diliman | XDP genetic epidemiology
Hans Labordo, BS Biology student, UP Diliman | Molecular detection of Schistosoma japonicum in dogs
Kriselda Cuevas, BS Biology student, UP Diliman | Pooled genotyping for XDP
Jay Lorenz Dela Cruz, BS Biology student, UP Diliman | STI and pregnancy loss
Leanne Paras, BS Biology student, UP Diliman | Molecular xenomonitoring
Ajalon Sarto, BS Biology student, UP Diliman | Detection of echinococcosis in definitive and intermediate hosts
Beryl Ivee Guzman, BS Biology student, UP Diliman | Molecular detection of Schistosoma japonicum in bovines
Lynes Salvio, Jude Tumale, Bernice Macalinao, DLSU Manila | IL6 SNPs in HPV-positive and HPV-negative Filipina
Victor David, Rafael Gonzalez, Anthony Lacson, BS Biology students, ADMU | Molecular detection of Taenia solium in archived stool samples
Annika Divino, Mikhaella Garces, Pia Paat, BS Biology students, ADMU | Molecular identification of snail intermediate hosts of zoonotic trematodes
Completed
Amina Kunting, MS Biology Class 2025, UP Diliman | Evaluating novel Schistosoma japonicum DNA molecular markers in detecting active schistosomiasis infection in human hosts and pooled snail samples to enhance disease surveillance in Leyte, Philippines
Charo Abarsosa, MS Environmental Science Class 2024, UP Tacloban | An assessment of the present state of selected irrigation canals for schistosomiasis control: towards development of a GIS-based surveillance tool in Palo, Leyte, Philippines
Dodge Carl Nabua, BS Biology Class 2023, UP Diliman | Performance assessment of a direct real time PCR assay for genotyping of an XDP-associated SNV using rDBS collected by the NSC-VIS and the NSC-NIH from 2013 to 2020
Samantha Nicole Gaw, BS Biology Class 2024, UP Diliman | Optimization of a conventional PCR-based molecular snail xenomonitoring protocol to detect Schistosoma japonicum infection in pooled Oncomelania hupensis quadrasi samples
Samantha Bastes, BS Biology Class 2024, UP Diliman | Optimization of a molecular test to characterize DSC3 associated with XDP using rDBS from the Philippine Newborn Screening Program
Maria Hilaria de Castro, BS Biology Class 2024, UP Diliman | Best Undergraduate thesis finalist | Molecular Epidemiology of high-risk human papillomavirus in Filipino women with cervical infections
Mikayla de Guzman, BS Biology Class 2024, UP Diliman | Identification of suitable reference targets for miRNA normalization from the qPCR of serum samples of Filipino late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease patients
Maxine Khu, BS Biology Class 2024, UP Diliman | Prevalence and predisposing factors of bacterial vaginosis among nonpregnant women of reproductive age in an urban community center in the Philippines
Domingo Macinas, BS Biology Class 2024, UP Diliman | Comparative analysis of mucosal cytokines in cervicovaginal samples collected from HPV-positive and HPV-negative women
Ivan Paggadu, BS Biology Class 2024, UP Diliman | Comparative Assessment of the Diagnostic Performance of IHA Test, Single Stool K-K, and Stool PCR for the Detection of Active Human Schistosomiasis in Highly Endemic Barangays of Leyte using a Composite Reference Standard
Martine Rosete, BS Biology Class 2024, UP Diliman | Prevalence of Ureaplasma spp. infection and associated placental pathology among Filipino women with singleton second- and third-trimester pregnancy loss
Annette Yuyucheng, BS Biology Class 2025, UP Diliman | Shell morphometric analysis of Oncomelania (Gastropoda: Pomatiopsidae) using multiple multivariate tests,
Institute of Biology, College of Science
University of the Philippines Diliman
You may send your inquiries to pubhealthbio.upd@gmail.com