by Michelle Jeanne Casiple Caracut | May 09 2024
Prof. Charlie A. Lavilla, Jr. a faculty member of the Department of Chemistry at the College of Science and Mathematics, has been recently honored with a prestigious French scholarship program. The Séjours Scientifiques de Haut Niveau (SSHN), offered by the Embassy of France to the Philippines and Micronesia, has selected Prof. Lavilla as one of the three Filipino recipients for this year.
Through this exceptional opportunity, Prof. Lavilla will embark on a one-month internship at the esteemed Centre Hospitalier de Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, and University of Lille in France. Specifically, he will join the renowned Nuclear Receptors, Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases laboratory group, which focuses on unraveling the intricate biological and molecular mechanisms of type 2 diabetes and its associated cardiovascular complications. This groundbreaking research aims to develop cutting-edge preventive and therapeutic strategies.
During his time in France, Prof. Lavilla will undergo comprehensive training in the latest concepts and techniques for studying the properties of molecules involved in the pathophysiology of cardiometabolic diseases. This includes investigating the links between obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and their impact on the liver and cardiovascular system, particularly atherosclerosis. To facilitate knowledge exchange and foster collaboration, Prof. Lavilla will also have the opportunity to participate in the summer school forum organized by the European Genomic Institute of Diabetes (EGID), during which he will showcase his own diabetes research conducted at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳-IIT.
The SSHN scholarship program not only enables academic and research staff from the Philippines and Micronesia to engage in educational and research institutions in France, but also serves as a platform for enhancing collaboration between French institutions and those in the Philippines and Micronesia.
Currently serving as the chair of the Chemistry Department and a member of the College Research Ethics Committee, Prof. Lavilla is committed to expanding his expertise and research capabilities. As such, he is actively pursuing additional funding opportunities to extend his mobility in France beyond the initial one-month period.
Lavilla's remarkable achievement reflects his dedication to scientific advancement and opens doors to further strengthen ties between ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳-IIT and the scientific community in Lille, France. The University congratulates Prof. Lavilla on this well-deserved recognition and eagerly anticipates the valuable contributions he will make in the field of cardiometabolic research.