Phoebe Nicole Perez, DOST Philippine Council for Health Research and Development
Numerous developing countries such as the Philippines face threats from disease, including malaria and tuberculosis, as well as high maternal and infant mortality rates due to limited health care resources. Biomedical optics has emerged to bridge these health care disparities by enabling decentralized diagnostics and therapeutic solutions.
Spectroscopy and imaging are pivotal for early disease detection. For instance, current diagnostics for dengue fever (a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes) in the Philippines cannot determine the virus serotype, affecting patient care. While reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the gold standard, it is costly and complex. Our research at the Department of Science and Technology Industrial Technology Development Institute aims to use vibrational spectroscopy to identify the virus serotype, offering a more accessible solution.
Partnerships between health care professionals and optics researchers ensure that developed technologies are applicable in real-world settings.
However, translating biomedical optics advancements into practical solutions requires overcoming foundational challenges in our existing health care infrastructure.
In the Philippines, we must enhance the curriculum, build local expertise, and invest in research infrastructure. Integrating biomedical optics into the current curricula of physics and medicine courses equips students with essential skills and knowledge. Additionally, investing in the professional development of local laser specialists and clinicians through targeted training programs and workshops is crucial for effectively leveraging cutting-edge technologies. Lastly, the establishment of dedicated biomedical optics research facilities, such as one of the laboratories within the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines, will provide local innovation hubs.
To facilitate the translation of biomedical optics, funding grants for research are necessary. In 2023, the Biomedical Engineering for Health program of the Department of Science and Technology — Philippine Council for Health Research and Development included “Medical Biophotonics” as one of their priority topics. These grants provide the funding needed to initiate research projects, purchase equipment, and support pilot studies on the use of optics for the identification, detection, and treatment of diseases. This year, the program received 33% more submissions than last year, covering the use of optical techniques in patient monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment.
Partnerships between health care professionals and optics researchers ensure that developed technologies are applicable in real-world settings. With certain diseases being endemic to Southeast Asia, collaboration with developed nations offers unique research opportunities, especially as climate change spreads these diseases to new regions. These partnerships can yield mutual benefits, leading to targeted solutions for the affected populations.
Meet the author
Phoebe Nicole G. Perez holds a bachelor’s degree in applied physics from the University of the Philippines Los Baños and a doctorate in physics, specializing in optics and photonics, from the National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She serves as the S&T Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering for Health (BIOMED) program at the Department of Science and Technology Philippine Council for Health Research and Development; email: [email protected].
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