FEU-IHSN Dean Dr. John Anthony was invited to give a keynote lecture at the National University of Singapore last 30th May to 1st June 2023. The workshop was co-organized by the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS) headed by Assoc. Professor Kevin Tan and the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (EU-COST) thru Dr. Anastasios Tsaousis of the University of Kent (UK).  Dr. Yason’s lecture touched on in-vitro applications in Blastocystis Research. Blastocystis is a model organism for understanding host and microbiota dynamics in the gut.

Aside from the keynote lecture, Dr. Yason also shared his laboratory expertise on high-content cell phenotyping using an imaging flow cytometry platform as well as determination of intestinal epithelial barrier integrity using flux assay and transepithelial electrical resistance measurements.

Dean Yason giving a lecture at the EU-COST-NUS workshop

Dr. Yason finished his PhD from NUS and was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Laboratory for Cellular and Molecular Parasitology in the same university. His research focused on understanding Blastocystis and its interactions with host cells and gut microbiota. His current focus is to identify interactions and dynamics within the gut-brain axis.

As Dean of the Institute of Health Sciences and Nursing (IHSN) in FEU, he provides effective leadership in healthcare education and research. He oversees the academic programs, Nursing and Medical Technology, and promotes excellence in teaching and learning, and most importantly, advancing research initiatives within the disciplines.

Dr. Yason demonstrating how to grow and maintain intestinal epithelial cells on cell-culture inserts for use in infection experiments

The workshop, which includes basic and advanced techniques for studying Blastocystis, was attended by researchers from 16 countries.

Joining Dean Yason at the EU-COST-NUS Workshop were FEU MedTech Research Committee members Ms. Mary Rose Lirio and Ms. Laarni Hannah Lacorte.