05/08/2026
The research committee of National Children’s Hospital (NCH) conducted the very “1 st NCH Research Symposium with the theme “Laying the Groundwork for Child Health Research: Advancing Evidence,Transforming Care” on July 30, 2026. The event was held in the 6 th-f loor Conference Hall, Medical Arts Building. The main objective of the conference was to have a platform for the presentation and recognition of child health research. There were four keynote lectures and fourteen research presentations. Dr. Philip Morales, the Medical Center Chief II of National Children’s Hospital, welcomed the attendees. For the morning session, Dr.
Iris Thiele Isip-Tan delivered her presentation titled “Artificial Intelligence in Health Research: Practical Applications, Opportunities, and Limitations.” This was followed by the second keynote lecture titled “From Evidence to Impact: The Role of Research in Transforming Clinical Practice” by Dr. Roland Dominic Jamora. Research Symposium I was conducted with the theme “Transforming Pediatric Healthcare: Evidence-Based Approaches to Risk Identification, Treatment Optimization, and Quality of Life.” Six pediatric residents presented their papers. Like the morning session, the afternoon session had two keynote speakers: Dr. Maria Julieta Corazon Victoriano-Germar and Dr. Bernard Laya. Dr. Germar delivered a lecture entitled “Creating Impact in Health Professions Education Through Research and Innovation.” Meanwhile, Dr. Laya presented the lecture entitled “A Life in Research: Lessons in Leadership, Innovation, and Impact.” For the Research Symposiums II and III, the themes are “Building Better Pediatric Care: Research Advancing Early Detection, Effective Treatment, and Improved Health Outcomes” and “Advancing Comprehensive Pediatric Care through Evidence-Based Research: From Growth and Development to Surgical, Oncologic, and Palliative Outcomes”, respectively. Seven fellows and one resident presented their manuscripts in the afternoon. Each keynote lecture and symposium was facilitated by moderators from different departments and sections, with the help of the chief resident, Dr. Roxanne Mae Timbang. The reactors for Symposiums I and II are: Sir Teddy Dizon, Dr. Cyrus Cesar Tejam, and Dr. Diana Tamondong-Lachica. Dr. Darby Santiago and Dr. Christian Wilson Turalde are the reactors for Symposium III. Maurice Lee B. Santos, the co-chairperson of the research committee, delivered the symposium’s synthesis. All keynote speakers came from different medical specialties, reflecting the goal of strengthening the research culture. As NCH aims for transformation, the event is one of the deliverables in the Research Roadmap under the Performance Governance System.
