01/09/2026
Strengthening ASF Research Through International Scientific Collaboration
We are pleased to welcome Dr. Paula Leona C. Fletcher, a Balik Scientist under the DOST Balik Scientist Program (BSP), for a 90-day engagement with the Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI).
Dr. Fletcher holds a PhD in Veterinary Medicine from Gyeongsang National University, South Korea, and has served as a Senior Researcher, bringing valuable expertise in immunology and virology to the Philippines.
During her 90-day engagement, Dr. Fletcher has been contributing to R&D activities focused on African Swine Fever (ASF). She has been working alongside the project “Development of a Vector-Based African Swine Fever Virus Vaccine Using a Hepatitis E Virus Nanoparticle Platform” under the Virology and Vaccine Research Program, helping strengthen local capabilities in diagnostics, immunology, virology, and vaccine research.
As part of her engagement, Dr. Fletcher also paid a courtesy call to DOST-ITDI Director, Dr. Annabelle V. Briones, on July 23, 2026.