A USC Biology alumna was recognized among the top poster presenters during the 8th International and 16th National Annual Convention of the Philippine Society for Cell Biology (PSCB) held on October 23–24, 2025, at Marco Polo Plaza, Cebu City.

Kylene Cabilla, a B.S. Biology graduate of the USC Department of Biology who worked at the Mosquito Research Laboratory (MRL) headed by Dr. Frances Edillo, was ranked among the top three poster presenters out of 38 entries nationwide across the undergraduate, graduate, and professional categories. The award was presented by PSCB President Dr. Vivian Panes.

Cabilla’s poster was based on her undergraduate thesis, co-authored by Cyra Lorraine Salem, Zed Lexis Tubod, and Dr. Edillo, titled “First Report of S989P Knockdown Resistance Mutation in the Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Gene in Aedes aegypti (L.) from Cebu City Dengue Hotspots, Philippines.” 

The study contributes to early detection of insecticide resistance in local mosquito populations and supports evidence-based assessments for dengue vector control programs in Cebu City. Its framework may also be adapted for use in other regions in the Philippines and in similar tropical settings.