Institute of Clinical Epidemiology

"Synthesizing and Generating Evidence for Better Health"

As approved by the UP BOR on 17 April 1997, the Institute primarily conducts relevant research for the improvement of health care using the principles of clinical epidemiology and its related disciplines and to provide technical services in support of research development. The Institute promotes expertise and conduct of essential research in health care and formulation and adoption of health policies emanating from these researches.

ICE has established itself as a leader in conducting clinical epidemiologic research that served as the basis for health policies and clinical practice guidelines. The Institute is recognized for its expertise in doing health systems and policy research, program monitoring and evaluation, and implementation research that provide guidance on the direction of health programs and policies in the country. Its faculty has been in the forefront of issues of public health importance, advocating for rigorous and ethical conduct of research, independent critical appraisal of evidence towards the formulation of evidence-based recommendations and health policies. ICE also established its role as a reliable resource for technical assistance in clinical research, health policy and systems research, environmental and occupational health research, statistical analysis, database design, and data management.

MISSION

The Institute of Clinical Epidemiology of the UP National Institutes of Health serves the Filipino and global community through timely, socially responsive, and innovative health research, training and service in evidence synthesis and generation Our strength is in our people and as our Institute evolves, we commit to continuously support the professional development and advancement of our faculty and staff.
Guided by our principles of Integrity, Collaboration, Excellence and Equity, we are the national resource of comprehensive health research, training, service, and network for emerging and re-emerging health conditions of national and global importance

VISION

To be the leading authority and training Institution in Health Evidence Synthesis and Generation in the ASEAN region by 2028.

TRAINING SERVICES:

ICE, in partnership with the Department of Clinical Epidemiology, offers the following workshops to increase awareness of research and to equip health professionals with the skills and knowledge necessary to become critical users and doers of research:

Research Methodology
Evidence-based Medicine
Development of Systematic Reviews
Development of Clinical Practice Guidelines
Good Clinical Practice and Ethics
A Mixed Methods Approach to Health Research
Data Management and Statistics for Health Research
Effective Writing and Presentation of Scientific Research
Training for Technical Review Board Members

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS:

Marissa M. Alejandria, MD, MSc

Professor of Infectious Disease and Clinical Epidemiology

Ongoing Projects

Program Leader, Philippine Program for DIAgnostic Biomarkers, Disease Modeling and Nutriceutical
Product Development (Phil-DIAMOND): Initial Focus on HIV-related Neurocognitive and Metabolic Complications – 2020 to present
Co-Project Leader, WHO Solidarity Trial Vaccines – Feb 2021 to present
National Coordinator and Principal Investigator, WHO Solidarity Treatment Trial: Multicenter Randomized Trial of Additional Treatments for COVID-19 in Hospitalized Patients – April 2020 to present
Project Leader, Updating of COVID-19 Living Clinical Practice Guidelines – 2020 to present
Co-investigator, Biosurveillance of COVID-19 in the Philippines through Whole Genome Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 from Patients – 2020
Project Leader, TB RePORT Long-term outcomes of diagnosed TB cases in the Philippines, 2020 to present
Co-Program Leader, National Practice Guidelines Program – 2022
Co-Project Leader, Development of Guidelines for Periodic Health Examination (PHEX 3) - 2022

Emmanuel S. Baja, DSc

Research Professor of Environmental Health and Epidemiology

Clinical and Socio-Demographic Characteristics, and Service Utilization of Transgender Men and Women in a Community-Based Setting: A Cohort Profile from 2017 to 2019 – Principal Investigator
Assessing the Effect of COVID 19 Pandemic, Shift to Online Learning, and Social Media Use on Mental Health Among College Students in the Philippines: A Mixed-Method Study – Principal Investigator
Exposure Assessment of Person Living with HIV on Electronic and Conventional Cigarette Usage, Stress and Respiratory Health: A single center mixed-methods study – Principal Investigator
Association between consumption of fermented rice wine (Tapuy) and less with Alzheimer’s disease and early signs of dementia – Principal Investigator
Acceptability and Feasibility of HIV Self-Screening (HSS) among Men-Having-Sex with Men (MSM) and Transgender Women (TGW) in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines: A Demonstration Study – Principal Investigator
Risk Factors, Clinical Characteristics and Transmission of Covid 19 in Non-Pregnant and Pregnant Women in the Philippines: A multicenter study – Co-Investigator
Water-based Epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 Genetic Analysis and Surveillance in Mindanao (WAGAS Mindanao): Proof-of-Concept – Co-Investigator
RabCast: Proof-of-concept for a Forecasting Tool for Rabies Spread in Davao City Through Combined Genomic and Mathematical Approaches - Co-Investigator
Integrated Wastewater-Based Epidemiology and Data Analytics for Community-Level Pathogen Surveillance and Genetic Tracking: Proof-of-Concept - Co-Investigator

Emmanuel P. Estrella, MD, MSc

Research Associate Professor of Orthopaedics & Clinical Epidemiology

Mary Ann J. Ladia, PhD

Research Associate Professor of Medical Anthropology

On-Going

Co-Proponent Resilience and coping among staff and educators of UP Manila during CoViD- 19 Pandemic (RISEUP); August 2022
Proponent, Managing Editor, and First Author: Support for the development and production of the book entitled, “Understanding frailty: A study of aging in the Philippines” May 2022-June 2024
Co-proponent and Project Leader (Study 1) University of the Philippines Manila Wellness Initiative for Seniors and Elders (UPM-WISE), Project 1 “Collaborations and Qualitative Assessments of Health and Well- being” (Co-Proponents: dela Vega SAF, Garcia A) January 2022- January 2024

Marie Carmela M. Lapitan, MD, MSc

Research Professor of Urology & Clinical Epidemiology

Rapid review of the evidence on prioritized COVID-19 technologies and interventions – Principal Investigator
Rapid review of COVID-19 mobile health technologies in the workplace – Principal Investigator
Elective Operating Room Quality and Efficiency of Surgical Services Delivery in a Tertiary Government Training Hospital in the Philippines During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Principal Investigator
A Cluster Randomised Feasibility Study of a Sustainable Nutritional Intervention for Patients Undergoing Cancer Surgery in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) - Country Lead/Principal Investigator
Malnutrition and nutritional screening in patients undergoing surgery in low and middle income countries: a systematic review - Co-Investigator
EAU Guidelines on the management of female non-neurogenic lower urinary tract symptoms - Co-Investigator
Botulinum toxin for treating idiopathic overactive bladder in men: a systematic review - Co-Investigator
Outcomes on Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocol Versus Standard Care after Radical Cystectomy in UP-PGH - Co-Investigator

Olivia T. Sison, MSPH, ScM

Research Assistant Professor of Public Health & Epidemiology

Ongoing

“LIFEcourse study in CARdiovascular disease Epidemiology (LIFECARE)
- Co-I
- PI: Dr. Rody Sy
Stigma Reduction and Gender Affirmation to Promote HIV Prevention/Testing in Transgender Women (Lakambini Project)
- Co-I
- PI: Prof. Laufred Hernandez, Dr. Don Operario (Emory University)
Determining the association of chronic road traffic exposure and markers of audiologic abnormalities among Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) workers in EDSA: a cross-sectional study
- Co-I
- PI: Dr. Kim Ong
Rapid Assessment Study on the Experiences, Triggers, Difficulties in Seeking Care among Adult Patients with Mild or Moderate COVID-19 in Dasmarinas City, Cavite
- Co-I
- PI: Dr. Nina Carandang

Completed

Association of anticipated stigma and provider mistrust on preference for HIV self-testing among MSM in the Philippines (2021)
- PI
Socio-demographic patterns, knowledge, attitudes, and health-seeking behavior among persons with presumptive pulmonary TB in selected regions of the Philippines : Secondary Analysis of national data sets from 2016-2017 (2019)
- Senior M&E Consultant
- Panagora Group
Development of Innovative Strategies for the Control and Prevention of Neglected Tropical Parasitic Diseases to Contribute to Universal Health Care (2019)
- Biostatistician
- PI: Dr. Vicente Belizario Jr.
Deworming Outcome Project: Status and control of soil-transmitted helminthiasis in indigenous people children in selected communities in Pampanga and Davao Del Norte (2019)
- Biostatistician
- Funding agency: Department of Health
- Primary Investigator: Dr. Vicente Belizario Jr.
Project 3: UP Los Baños: Developing Collaborations, Socio-Demographic Profile and Situational Assessment of the UP Wellness Initiative for Seniors and Elders (UPWISE) Program (2019)
- Biostatistician
- PI: Dr. Dela Vega
Data Quality Assessment for national programs for HIV and TB in Cambodia
- Consultant
- Funding: Global Fund
“Focused Interventions for FRAIL Older Adults Research and Development Program (FITforFRAIL)” (2018)
- Biostatistician
- PI: Dr. Dela Vega
War on Worms and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WOW-A-WASH): Integration of Helminthiasis Control with WASH in Selected Haiyan-Stricken and Armed Conflict Areas in the Philippines (2018)
- Biostatistician
- Funding agency: Department of Health
- Primary Investigator: Dr. Vicente Belizario Jr.
“The epidemiology and burden of disease of infections due to Extended-spectrum Beta-lactamase (ESBL) – producing organisms and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) of patients admitted in sentinel hospitals of the Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program (ARSP) of the Philippine Department of Health: a pilot study” (2018)
- Co-investigator
- Funding agencies: PCHRD
- Primary Investigator: Dr. Bryan Albert Lim
2016 National TB Prevalence Survey (2017)
- Assistant Head, Data Management Unit)
- Funding agency: Department of Health
“The Healthy Health Workers (HHW) Study: Health Profile and Understanding of Cardiovascular Risk among Community Health Workers in Selected Areas in the Philippines” (2017)
- Olivia T. Sison, Rody G. Sy, Nina Castillo-Carandang, Mary Ann J. Ladia, Elmer Jasper B. Llanes, Felix Eduardo R. Punzalan, Paul Ferdinand M. Reganit, Wilbert Allan G. Gumatay
- Funding agency: UP-NIH
Development and Testing of a Tool and the Ziehl-Neelsen Technique for the identification of Paragonimiasis-Endemic Foci in Zamboanga Region, Philippines (2017)
- Biostatistician
- Funding agency: WHO
- Primary Investigator: John Paul delos Trinos
Schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis in preschool-age children in the Philippines: opportunities for integrated surveillance and control (2017)
- Biostatistician
- Funding agency: WHO
- Primary Investigator: Ms. Chiqui de Veyra, RMT
Community Recruitment for COPD Clinical Trial in Five Participating Sites in the Philippines (2014)
- Dr. Marissa M. Alejandria, Dr. Mary Ann J. Ladia, Prof. Olivia T. Sison, Dr. Vicente Y. Belizario Jr., Prof. Maria Lourdes E. Amarillo, Dr. Jacinto Blas Mantaring, Prof. Cora Anonuevo, Prof. Edlyn Jimenez
- Funding agency: Parexel