A FULL professor from the University of San Carlos in Cebu was awarded a prestigious Australia Awards Fellowship.

Dr. Frances Edillo, head of the Mosquito Research Laboratory at the USC Biology Department, attended the two-week fellowship on November 5–19, 2023.

She was awarded together with nine women scientists, clinicians, and public health professionals from seven Asia-Pacific countries “to advance important research on the impacts of tropical mosquito-borne diseases.”

During the HEAL (Healthy Environments and Lives) hybrid conference, Edillo also presented her Philippine Council for Health Research Council-funded study.

It was titled “Detecting the Impacts of Humidity, Rainfall, Temperature, and Season on Chikungunya, Dengue, and Zika Viruses on Aedes albopictus Mosquitoes from Selected Sites in Cebu City, Philippines.”

“Emergence and re-emergence of mosquito-borne arboviruses (i.e., chikungunya, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and Zika) and climate change have contributed to the substantial health and economic burden in the tropics and subtropics and expanded distribution of mosquito vectors and arboviruses that they transmit,” the study said.

“Hence, subsequent collaborative scientific workforce after the fellowship above is crucial to maintaining open lines of communication across borders within Asia-Pacific to work on joint strategies to solving climate-sensitive mosquito-borne diseases,” it added.

The Australian Government’s Australia Awards Fellowships program aims to build networks and strengthen partnerships between Australian organizations and their counterparts in the region.

Associate Professor Francesca Frentiu from the School of Biomedical Sciences of Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Queensland initiated the fellowship with several engaging activities.