MALATE, Manila- Forty researchers will participate in the upcoming 12^th National Medical Writing Workshop and 5^th Writeshop for Young Researchers on 7-8 August 2017 at Pan Pacific Manila.  

Organized by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), in cooperation with the Philippine Association of Medical Journal Editors (PAMJE) and Asia Pacific Association of Medical Journal Editors (APAME), the workshop aims to help researchers in health and health social sciences to acquire practical knowledge and skills in preparing a scientific article for publication in a scholarly peer-reviewed journal.

Among the lessons to be taught are structure and individual components of a scientific paper, process of preparing a manuscript, and the role of editors and peer reviewers and what they look for in a manuscript.

Under the guidance of the faculty and mentor-facilitators, the participants will also have the opportunity to review and revise their manuscripts. After the workshop, they are expected to submit their articles to an appropriate scholarly peer-reviewed journal within three months.

The 12^th National Medical Writing Workshop and 5^th Writeshop for Young Researchers will be held in line with the celebration of the Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS) Week.

MANILA CITY, Metro Manila- The MD-PhD scholars of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) attended the Basic Research Ethics Training on 22-23 March 2017 at the C.O.M.E Conference Room, Paz Mendoza Hall, University of the Philippines (UP) Manila.

The MD-PhD scholars who attended the PHREB's Basic Research Ethics Training

Led by the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB), the training provided scholars with knowledge on how to conduct ethical research to assist them in the development of their masteral or dissertation requirements.

The speakers, namely Dr. Maria Salome Vios and Dr. Sonia Bongala, Chair and Vice-Chair of the PHREB Committee on Standards and Accreditation (PHREB CSA), emphasized the role of the Research Ethics Committee (REC) in ensuring the welfare, safety, and protection of the research participants from any possible scientific advancements of a research protocol.  

Dr. Vios and Dr. Bongala also discussed various international, national, and institutional controls that guide researchers on doing ethical research. They reminded the scholars to treat RECs as support institutions in improving the outcomes of their research and not as a hindrance in implementing their objectives.

The MD-PhD Molecular Medicine Program is a joint initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through PCHRD, and UP Manila, through the College of Medicine, to train aspiring physician-scientists for careers dedicated to the advancement of health through biomedical research.

To date, 65 scholars were being monitored by PCHRD. (With reports from Julian Bernardo Torralba, Science Research Specialist I, PCHRD) 

QUEZON CITY, Metro Manila- The Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB) conducted a training on Good Clinical Practice (GCP) on 7-10 March at Toscana Hall, Torre Venezia Suites, Timog Avenue.

Photo session with the participants and speakers

The activity aims to improve the skills of PHREB’s Committee on Information Dissemination, Training, and Advocacy (CIDTA) and National Ethics Committee (NEC) members in conducting training programs such as Good Research Practice Training, Basic Research Ethics Training, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Workshop, and Research Ethics Committee Staff Training.

Included in the discussions were important factors to consider and use during the conduct of training namely content, participants, goals, and tools. The principles of GCP, roles and responsibilities of investigators, and assessment of protocols based on common issues accompanying clinical trials were also tackled.

The activity also harmonizes the understanding of the participants in communicating knowledge by identifying the key challenges that they have encountered during the conduct of training as well as the key qualities of an effective educator.

Dr. Fidela Moreno of the University of Santo Tomas and Intermountain Heart Institute, Dr. Joseph Marzo of the PAREXEL Clinical Research Philippines, and Ms. Ma. Rosary Anne Reyes of Otsuka Manila Research Center facilitated the training. (With reports from Julian Bernardo Torralba, Science Research Specialist I, PCHRD)