Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) Science and Technology Fellow Dr. Noel C. Salvoza, one of the first scholars of the PhD in Molecular Biomedicine program jointly established by DOST-PCHRD and Fondazione Italiana Fegato (FIF), returned to FIF in Trieste, Italy, in March 2026 for a one-month research fellowship.

Together with Dr. Natalia Rosso of FIF’s Metabolic Liver Disease Unit, Dr. Salvoza is working on a project which explores how lipid nanoparticles and dengue infection interact in the context of metabolic liver disease. At the FIF laboratory, Dr. Salvoza is developing and validating an in vitro tri-culture liver model that combines hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells, and macrophages, which interact closely within the liver. Once established, the model will allow researchers to study how dengue virus infection and lipid nanoparticle exposure affect liver tissues under conditions resembling metabolic liver diseases. The project is supported through the DOST Grants-in-Aid (GIA) program and implemented by the DOST – Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI), with FIF serving as the partner institution.

Dr. Salvoza’s work underscores the importance of liver research in understanding how dengue infection affects patients, particularly those with underlying metabolic conditions. Through  examining liver responses to both viral infection and emerging vaccine technologies, his research contributes to ongoing efforts to assess disease progression and safety considerations.

Dr. Salvoza’s training at FIF strengthened his expertise in liver biology and metabolic diseases, equipping him with advanced research and laboratory skills that continue to inform his work today. Beyond his fellowship work, he actively supports initiatives of the Philippine Liver Research Network (PLRN) and contributes to efforts aligned with the newly established DOST – Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines (VIP).