Name:

Fatima Ericka S. Vista

Home Institution:

De La Salle University Manila

Host Institution:

University of Rhode Island

Award Name:

Fulbright Visiting Scholar for Advance Research

Award Year:

2024

Bio / Write-up:

Fatima completed her Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (Molecular Medicine) degree at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine. She is currently an Assistant Professorial Lecturer at the De La Salle University Manila Department of Biology. Her research work mainly deals with infectious diseases, and she is particularly interested in viruses prevalent in the Philippines like dengue virus (DENV) and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). 

She will spend 4 months in the University of Rhode Island under the mentorship of Dr. Alan Rothman exploring the antibody dependent enhancement potential of antibodies generated from JEV vaccination in children. In 2017, concerns surrounding dengue vaccination were raised in the Philippines which likely contributed to the vaccine hesitancy among parents in the country. Since JEV and DENV are related viruses, Fatima’s proposed project aims to determine the effect of vaccine-generated JEV antibodies on subsequent dengue exposure. Upon her return, Fatima hopes to further contribute to virology research, which is still a budding field in the country. Given her medical background, she plans to focus on viruses of concern to human health.

In her free time, Fatima also enjoys traveling to unwind while learning about other cultures.