Advancing Newborn Screening with MS Technology

Newborn screening (NBS) has revolutionized public health by enabling early diagnosis and intervention for infants with inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs), leading to improved prognosis and quality of life.

Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) has emerged as a cost-effective solution for the simultaneous detection of numerous amino acids and acylcarnitine profiles within a single test, all while offering outstanding analytical accuracy and precision. As a result, MS/MS has gained widespread application in the screening of IEMs, including amino acid disorders, organic acidemia, and fatty acid oxidation defects.

In this session on Shimadzu Digital Classrooms, we are honoured to invite Dr. Dahlia from UP-NIH, who will enlighten us on the development of newborn screening methods, specifically in the Philippines. Join us as we delve into the potential of MS/MS technology in advancing NBS and explore Shimadzu's innovative Analytical and Medical solutions. Discover how these advancements can contribute to better health outcomes for infants and their families.

Learning Objectives:

• Apply the relevant learnings from the case study in the Philippines to newborn screening in the ASEAN region
• The current outlook and challenges in newborn screening
• Discover Shimadzu's total solutions for newborn screening and Shimadzu's development for NBS in the ASEAN region

Presenter: Naatasha Isahak, PhD (Market Specialist - Clinical and Forensics, Shimadzu - Asia Pacific Pte Ltd)

Naatasha Isahak is a Product Specialist for MALDI and Life Sciences Products from Shimadzu Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. She has received her PhD from the University of Sydney (Chemistry) working on surface initiated polymerisation on silica nanoparticles using RAFT polymerisation and bioorthogonal conjugation of peptides using Native Chemical Ligation. She then spent 5 years working on developing platforms for stem cells and organoids characterization that included working with microfluidic devices and helical polymers. Naatasha joined Shimadzu in 2022 to expand her experiences to MALDI characterization on materials and biological samples.

Presenter: Dahlia C. Apodaca, PhD, RCh (Head, Biochemical Genetics Laboratory, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines-Manila)

Dr. Dahlia del Castillo Apodaca is a highly accomplished scientist and serves as the Head of the Biochemical Genetics Laboratory at the Institute of Human Genetics, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines-Manila. She has made significant contributions to the scientific community, including her role as a Visiting Scientist at prestigious institutions such as the Department of Clinical Chemistry, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern in Switzerland in 2022, and the Biochemistry Department at the National Children's Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2024. With extensive research experience, she has also successfully authored scientific papers published in renowned, ISI-indexed publications. Additionally, Dr. Apodaca has also written several Senior High School Textbooks covering subjects such as General Chemistry, Practical Research, Research Capstone, and Inquiries, Investigation, and Immersion.