Maylin Palatino

Maylin Palatino
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Philippines

Maylin Palatino received her master’s in public health from the University of the Philippines Manila and an ScM Biostatistics degree from Brown University. She was a D43 trainee of the Brown University and University of the Philippines Training Program for the Prevention of HIV in Vulnerable Populations. In May 2022, she started working as a biostatistician at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Her research interests include HIV and non-communicable diseases. For her FIMP project, she will investigate trends in detectable viral loads among adults living with HIV in the TREAT Asia network. 

How do you aim to help people living with or at risk for HIV with your research?

My research provides evidence of ongoing risk to antiretroviral treatment (ART) success and highlights the importance of maintaining support for lifelong adherence counseling. My study found that about 30% of people living with HIV (PLWH) who were enrolled in IeDEA Asia-Pacific and on ART had detectable viral load between 2015 and 2020. The study can be used to rally policy makers to further improve policies and strategies for providing care for PLWH.

How has the FIMP training helped you in your work?

The FIMP training has taught me a lot. I learned how to use SAS for basic data management procedures, a software that I have not used in the past. It gave me the opportunity to work on a large dataset that covered the Asia-Pacific region. It also gave me the chance to work with a good number of researchers and experts. The training likewise showed me the value of humility, perseverance, and pushing through difficulty. All of these are valuable for my work and my life.

Additional thoughts

I am very thankful for this program as I have learned a lot from the whole process. I am particularly grateful to my mentors who patiently taught and guided me every step of the way.