I am a biostatistician and genetic epidemiologist with extensive experience in health research and teaching in both academic and industry settings. I have designed and implemented health studies, analyzed clinical trials and conducted training courses in statistical analysis and research methods for government institutions, pharmaceutical companies and international organizations since 1993.
After working in the private sector for several years, I pursued graduate studies and joined the academe in 2001. I initially taught and coordinated undergraduate and graduate courses in biostatistics, epidemiology and other public health related courses at the University of the Philippines. While doing my doctorate, I was involved in big data analytics of genetic studies and in the analysis of experimental studies at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany under a fellowship grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. In 2011, I was appointed in a post-doctoral post at the Health Economics Research Centre of the University of Oxford. I also worked at the Health Information, Evidence and Research Unit of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific where I led the assessment of the country health information profiles. I co-directed a mixed-method, nationwide survey for Save the Children in the Solomon Islands and had also evaluated as independent consultant various international projects including translational research projects sponsored by the Philippine-California Advanced Research Institutes and the USAID at different universities in the Philippines, University of California (UC) Berkeley, UC San Francisco and UC Davis. In 2015, I served in the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development as a Balik Scientist Program awardee and developed a fully-online Biostatistics Course for the University of the Philippines as its affiliate Senior Lecturer.
From 2018 to 2022, I was responsible for the clinical trials analysis and biostatistical remit of the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre at Imperial College London where I also taught statistical analysis, research and public health related courses. Currently, I am a Lecturer in Biostatistics at Newcastle University, UK. I lead the Artificial Intelligence in Health Research initiative and I also serve as research/statistical adviser for the NIHR Research Support Service.
Education
(PhD, MSc, BSc, GradStat, FRSPH, SFHEA, PG Cert LTHE)
- Ph.D. in Applied Statistics and Empirical Methods (Genetic Epidemiology), Centre for Statistics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany
- Dr. rer. nat., Faculties of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany
- Certificate in Pharmacogenomics in Oncology, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Germany
- M.Sc. in Public Health (Biostatistics), University of the Philippines Manila
- B.Sc. in Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila
- Manila Science High School, Philippines
Teaching Degree and Other Qualifications
- Certificate in Oxford Executive Leadership Programme, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, University of London, United Kingdom
- Worldwide Recognised Tutor, University of London, United Kingdom
- Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), United Kingdom
- Certificate in Effective Online Tutoring, Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Education, University of the Philippines Open University
Academic and Research Positions
- 2022 – present: Lecturer in Biostatistics; Biostatistics Research Group, Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Newcastle University, United Kingdom
- 2018 – 2023: Honorary Senior Research Fellow (2022-23), Senior Statistician (2020 – 2022), Research Fellow – Clinical Trials Statistician (2018 -2020); Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
- 2015 – present: Affiliate Senior Lecturer / Visiting Lecturer (Biostatistics / Epidemiology / Public Health); University of the Philippines / Open University
- 2013 – 2018: Independent Research Consultant / Statistician (USAID, RTI, PCARI, Save the Children, et al.); Multiple stations (e.g. USA, Philippines, Solomon Islands)
- 2011 – 2013: Senior Researcher; Health Economics Research Centre, Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
- 2005 – 2010: Scientist (Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin); Institute of Genetic Epidemiology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany
- 2001 – 2005: Instructor to Assistant Professor; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines;
- 2001 – 2005: Research Consultant / Biostatistician; Research and Biotechnology Division, Saint Luke’s Medical Center, Quezon City, Philippines
- 1996 – 2000: Research Supervisor / Founder; Development Research and Analysis Systems, Philippines
- 1993 – 1995: Research Analyst / Science Research Specialist; HIV/AIDS Research Group, Virology Section, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Health, Philippines
Affiliations
- Fellow, Royal Statistical Society, United Kingdom
- Fellow, Royal Society for Public Health, United Kingdom
- Senior Lecturer / Adjunct Faculty Member, University of the Philippines
- Member, Association for Clinical Data Management (ACDM), United Kingdom
- Associate Member, The Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering
- Ex-officio, Foring (Forum für Internationale Gesundheit / Forum for International Health), Germany (2008 – 2024)
- Research Fellow, Pharmacogenomics in Oncology, Graduiertenkolleg – Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Germany (2007 – 2010)
Selected Awards
- International Publication Award (2016), Office of the Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs, University of the Philippines
- Balik Scientist Program Awardee (2015), Department of Science and Technology, Philippines
- First Prize, Best Paper Presenter Award, Young Statisticians’ Competition by the Belgian Statistical Society (2010)