The Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOU) with Massachusetts General Hospital and the United States-National Institutes of Health (US-NIH) to forge collaborative partnerships on health research.
This was bared by DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña during his weekly report on Friday, March 19.
He said the DOST-PCHRD inked an agreement with Massachusetts General Hospital for research programs in identified priority areas in health.
"This MOU also covers training opportunities in Harvard University and its network of affiliate institutions,” he said.
DOST-PCHRD Executive Director Jaime C. Montoya explained that under the MOU, "the institutions intend to work together for the creation of the Philippines’ first Disease Screening Laboratory at the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) of the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila."
De la Peña likewise announced the DOST–PCHRD’s signing of the partnership pact with the US-NIH for the establishment of the Regional Prospective
Observational Research in Tuberculosis (RePORT) Consortium in the country.
It was Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical advisor, who signed the agreement for the US-NIH. Since 1984, Fauci has been the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
"This research program is composed of two projects on tuberculosis being implemented by the UP Manila National Institutes of Health and the Dela Salle University over three years,” the DOST chief said.