An Epiphany

In 2012 I decided to write about Project Oral Health for Juvenile Diabetics (POHJD). A project that I started in 1996 that sought to provide free dental treatment to families with children who have diabetes. At that time it was already known that Filipino children have high rates of tooth decay and there was ample reason to expect that children with diabetes were far worse. By 2012, the funding provided by the JASH Ressei Committee from Tokyo, Japan was already spent and it was time to assess how the project fared.

In the process of writing the paper, I rediscovered my fascination with research, the scientific method and process. At the age of 46, I enrolled in Coursera, a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) taught by top instructors from the world’s best universities and educational institutions. Course materials included recorded video lectures, auto-graded and peer-reviewed assignments, and community discussion forums.

After two years of being a data scientist wannabe, I am now confident of my skills in R, a programming language and environment for statistical computing and graphics. Below are the courses I took in Coursera and the certificates which can be verified online.

My Course Certificates

Click on the link to view the certificate in Coursera

  • The Unix Workbench
    • The goal of this course is to acquaint learners with Unix-like operating systems like macOS and Linux distributions like Ubuntu.
    • Grade Achieved: 93.7%
  • Version Control with Git
    • The course builds a strong foundational knowledge of the Git version control system. Developers and members of IT (Information Technology) are the primary audience.
    • Grade Achieved: 90.3%

Mastering Software Development in R Specialization - Johns Hopkins University

  • Building Data Visualization Tools
    • Visualization remains one of the most powerful ways to draw conclusions from data, but the influx of new data types requires the development of new visualization techniques and building blocks. This course provides the skills for creating new visualization building blocks using the ggplot2 framework and describe how to use and extend the system to suit the specific needs of organizations or teams.
    • Grade Achieved: 97.0%
Tracking the path of typhoon Haiyan Plotting Wind Speed and Radius of Typhoon Haiyan
  • Building R packages
    • In order to maximize the usefulness and reusability of data science software, code must be organized and distributed in a manner that adheres to community-based standards and provides a good user experience. This course covers the primary means by which R software is organized and distributed to others. It cover R package development, writing good documentation and vignettes, writing robust software, cross-platform development, continuous integration tools, and distributing packages via CRAN and GitHub.
    • Grade Achieved: 97.5%
FARSread Package
FARSread Package
  • Advanced R Programming
    • This course covers advanced topics in R programming that are necessary for developing powerful, robust, and reusable data science tools. Topics covered include functional programming in R, robust error handling, object oriented programming, profiling and benchmarking, debugging, and proper design of functions.
    • Grade Achieved: 97.5%
Creating and profiling functions

Creating and profiling functions

  • The R Programming Environment
    • This course provides a rigorous introduction to the R programming language, with a particular focus on using R for software development in a data science setting.
    • Grade Achieved: 100.0%
Exploring Zika cases in Brazil - Data from the Center for Disease Control Epidemic Prediction Initiative

Exploring Zika cases in Brazil - Data from the Center for Disease Control Epidemic Prediction Initiative

Statistics with R Specialization - Duke University

  • Statistics with R Capstone
    • For the capstone project, a large and complex dataset was provided to the learners. The analysis will require the application of a variety of methods and techniques introduced in the previous courses, including exploratory data analysis through data visualization and numerical summaries, statistical inference, and modeling as well as interpretations of these results in the context of the data and the research question. The analysis will implement both frequentist and Bayesian techniques and discuss in context of the data how these two approaches are similar and different, and what these differences mean for conclusions that can be drawn from the data.
    • Grade Achieved: 92.5%
Predicting House Prices in Ames, Iowa. Data from the Ames Assessor’s Office from 2006 to 2010

Predicting House Prices in Ames, Iowa. Data from the Ames Assessor’s Office from 2006 to 2010

  • Bayesian Statistics
    • The course applies Bayesian methods to several practical problems, to show end-to-end Bayesian analyses that move from framing the question to building models to eliciting prior probabilities to implementing in R (free statistical software) the final posterior distribution. Additionally, the course will introduce credible regions, Bayesian comparisons of means and proportions, Bayesian regression and inference using multiple models, and discussion of Bayesian prediction.
    • Grade Achieved: 97.5%
Choosing a model by Bayesian Information Criterion BIC

Choosing a model by Bayesian Information Criterion BIC

  • Linear Regression and Modeling
    • The course introduces simple and multiple linear regression models. These models allow the learner to assess the relationship between variables in a data set and a continuous response variable.
    • Grade Achieved: 99.4%
Residual diagnostics - Predicting movie popularity using dataset from the Rotten Tomatoes and Internet Movie Database

Residual diagnostics - Predicting movie popularity using dataset from the Rotten Tomatoes and Internet Movie Database

  • Inferential Statistics
    • The course covers commonly used statistical inference methods for numerical and categorical data. The student will learn how to set up and perform hypothesis tests, interpret p-values, and report the results of his analysis using R and RStudio (free statistical software).
    • Grade Achieved: 98.8%
Is confidence in educational institutions associated with opinions regarding Government spending for education? Data is a subset from the General Social Survey (GSS) Cumulative File 1972-2012

Is confidence in educational institutions associated with opinions regarding Government spending for education? Data is a subset from the General Social Survey (GSS) Cumulative File 1972-2012

  • Introduction to Probability and Data - The course introduces the learner to sampling and exploring data, as well as basic probability theory and Bayes’ rule. A variety of exploratory data analysis techniques will be covered, including numeric summary statistics and basic data visualization.
    • Grade Achieved: 99.4%
Prevalence of eye complications among the different age groups among diabetic subjects. Data from the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

Prevalence of eye complications among the different age groups among diabetic subjects. Data from the 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

The Data Science Specialization - Johns Hopkins University

  • Data Science Capstone
    • The capstone project class allow students to create a usable/public data product that can be used to show their skills to potential employers. Projects will be drawn from real-world problems and will be conducted with industry, government, and academic partners.
    • Grade Achieved: 96.5%
Plotting Word Clouds - Natural Language Processing

Plotting Word Clouds - Natural Language Processing

  • Developing Data Products
    • A data product is the production output from a statistical analysis. Data products automate complex analysis tasks or use technology to expand the utility of a data informed model, algorithm or inference. The course covers the basics of creating data products using Shiny, R packages, and interactive graphics. The course focusses on the statistical fundamentals of creating a data product that can be used to tell a story about data to a mass audience.
    • Grade Achieved: 100.0%
  • Practical Machine learning
    • This course will cover the basic components of building and applying prediction functions with an emphasis on practical applications. The course will provide basic grounding in concepts such as training and tests sets, overfitting, and error rates. The course will also introduce a range of model based and algorithmic machine learning methods including regression, classification trees, Naive Bayes, and random forests. The course will cover the complete process of building prediction functions including data collection, feature creation, algorithms, and evaluation.
    • Grade Achieved: 94.0%
Classification and Regression Tree Models

Classification and Regression Tree Models

  • Regression Models
    • This course covers regression analysis, least squares and inference using regression models. Special cases of the regression model, ANOVA and ANCOVA are covered as well. Analysis of residuals and variability will be investigated. The course also covers modern thinking on model selection and novel uses of regression models including scatterplot smoothing.
    • Grade Achieved: 100.0%

Linear Regression

  • Statistical Inference
    • Statistical inference is the process of drawing conclusions about populations or scientific truths from data. There are many modes of performing inference including statistical modeling, data oriented strategies and explicit use of designs and randomization in analyses. Furthermore, there are broad theories (frequentists, Bayesian, likelihood, design based, .) and numerous complexities (missing data, observed and unobserved confounding, biases) for performing inference. A practitioner can often be left in a debilitating maze of techniques, philosophies and nuance. This course presents the fundamentals of inference in a practical approach for getting things done.
    • Grade Achieved: 100.0%
Demonstrating the Central Limit Theorem through Simulation

Demonstrating the Central Limit Theorem through Simulation

  • Reproducible Research
    • This course focuses on the concepts and tools behind reporting modern data analyses in a reproducible manner. Reproducible research is the idea that data analyses, and more generally, scientific claims, are published with their data and software code so that others may verify the findings and build upon them.
    • Grade Achieved: 100.0
Demonstrating the effects of different types of imputation

Demonstrating the effects of different types of imputation

  • Exploratory Data Analysis
    • This course covers the essential exploratory techniques for summarizing data. These techniques are typically applied before formal modeling commences and can help inform the development of more complex statistical models.
    • Grade Achieved: 98.0%
Plotting Air Pollution Data

Plotting Air Pollution Data

  • Getting and Cleaning Data
    • The course covers obtaining data from the web, from APIs, from databases and from colleagues in various formats. It also covers the basics of data cleaning and how to make data “tidy”. Tidy data dramatically speed downstream data analysis tasks. The course will also cover the components of a complete data set including raw data, processing instructions, codebooks, and processed data. The course will cover the basics needed for collecting, cleaning, and sharing data.
    • Grade Achieved: 100.0%
  • R Programming
    • The course covers practical issues in statistical computing which includes programming in R, reading data into R, accessing R packages, writing R functions, debugging, profiling R code, and organizing and commenting R code. Topics in statistical data analysis will provide working examples.
    • Grade Achieved: 100.0%
  • The Data Scientist’s Toolbox
    • The course gives an overview of the data, questions, and tools that data analysts and data scientists work with. There are two components to this course. The first is a conceptual introduction to the ideas behind turning data into actionable knowledge. The second is a practical introduction to the tools that will be used in the program like version control, markdown, git, GitHub, R, and RStudio.
    • Grade Achieved: 96.0%
  • Interprofessional Healthcare informatics
    • Interprofessional Healthcare Informatics is a graduate-level, hands-on interactive exploration of real informatics tools and techniques offered by the University of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota’s National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education. It incorporates technology-enabled educational innovations to bring the subject matter to life and create a vital online learning community and healthcare informatics network.
    • Grade Achieved: 95.6%

Florence was an accomplished statistician too. The “Nightingale’s Coxcomb”, comes from her monograph, “Notes on matters affecting the health, efficiency and hospital administration of the British army”, 1858. She became the first female fellow of the Statistical Society of London.

  • Systems Thinking in Public Health
    • This course provides an introduction to systems thinking and systems models in public health. Problems in public health and health policy tend to be complex with many actors, institutions and risk factors involved. If an outcome depends on many interacting and adaptive parts and actors the outcome cannot be analyzed or predicted with traditional statistical methods. Systems thinking is a core skill in public health and helps health policymakers build programs and policies that are aware of and prepared for unintended consequences.
    • Grade Achieved: 90.0%
Introduction to Systems Thinking and Understanding Complex Adaptive Systems

Introduction to Systems Thinking and Understanding Complex Adaptive Systems

  • Introduction to Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
    • The course introduces learners to methods on how perform systematic reviews and meta-analysis of clinical trials. We will cover how to formulate an answerable research question, define inclusion and exclusion criteria, search for the evidence, extract data, assess the risk of bias in clinical trials, and perform a meta-analysis.
    • Grade Achieved: 89.9%

Results from 13 studies examining the effectiveness of the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine against tuberculosis

  • Design and Interpretation of Clinical Trials
    • The course will explain the basic principles for design of randomized clinical trials and how they should be reported. The first part of the course will introduce students to terminology used in clinical trials and the several common designs used for clinical trials, such as parallel and cross-over designs. The course will also explain some of the mechanics of clinical trials, like randomization and blinding of treatment.
    • Grade Achieved: 100.0%
Plotting Treatment Outcomes

Plotting Treatment Outcomes

Predicting arm circumference among Nepalese children

Predicting arm circumference among Nepalese children

Creating and interpretting Kaplan Meier Survival Plots

Creating and interpretting Kaplan Meier Survival Plots

Bayesian Statistics

Bayesian Statistics

  • Epidemiology: The Basic Science of Public Health
    • Often called “the cornerstone” of public health, epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of diseases, health conditions, or events among populations and the application of that study to control health problems. By applying the concepts learned in this course to current public health problems and issues, students will understand the practice of epidemiology as it relates to real life and makes for a better appreciation of public health programs and policies. This course explores public health issues like cardiovascular and infectious diseases - both locally and globally - through the lens of epidemiology.
    • Grade Achieved: 84.4%
  • Coursera Mentor Community and Training Course
    • Grade Achieved: 84.4%
    • Grade Achieved: 98.8%
TB

TB

My Portfolio

Plotting_Earthquake_Data_in_R

Plotting_Earthquake_Data_in_R

Creating Choropleth maps

Creating Choropleth maps

Plotting earthquake points and magnitude

Plotting earthquake points and magnitude

plotting my fitbit data

plotting my fitbit data

TB Map

TB Map

My Past Life

Employment History and Past positions

  • St. Luke’s Medical Center
    • Affiliate Dentist/Staff (1992-2015)
    • Consultant, Pain Management Center (1994-1996)
  • Rainbow Camp Foundation, Inc.
    • Dental Staff and Co-founder (1995-2015)
  • Pediatric Dentistry Center
    • Consultant for Diabetes (1997-1998)
  • World Diabetes Day - Focus on Oral Health
    • November 7, 2012, UP-PGH Section of Pediatric Endocrinology
    • Novemner 22, 2014, St. Luke’s Medical Center
    • Organizer
  • Telus International, Philippines
    • Customer Service Agent (November 2016-July 2017)

My Research and other Publications

Some of my published article may be found by following this link to ResearchGate

Citations, Merits and Awards

  • First prize winner Professional Category, Poster Board Competition
    • Philippine Dental Association - 105th annual convention
    • SMX Convention Center, May 14, 2014.
  • 2013 awardee for Research Chair in Dentistry and Oral Surgery
    • St. Luke’s Medical Center
    • EDSA Shangri-la Hotel, Mandaluyong City, October 15, 2013
  • 2012 awardee for Outstanding Physician in Community Service
    • St. Luke’s Medical Center
    • EDSA Shangri-la Hotel, Mandaluyong City, October 19, 2012

Certificates of appreciations for various presentations

  • St. Luke’s medical Center
    • Research and biotechnology Division (2014)
    • Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service (2013)
    • Diabetes, Thyroid and Endocrinology Center (2014, 2013)
    • Pain Management Center (1994)
    • Cancer Institute (1994)
  • Philippine Dental Association
    • 94th and 105th Annual Convention (2014, 2002)
    • Mid-Year Convention (2014)
    • Regional Conferences in Visayas and Mindanao (2014, 2013)
  • Philippine Dental Colleges and Colgate Palmolive, Philippines
    • Senior Dentistry forum in various Schools of Dentistry (2014, 2013)
  • Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (2013)
  • Diabetes Philippines, Inc (2014, 2013, 2012)
  • Association of Diabetes Nurse Educators and Philippine Association of Diabetes Nurse Educators (2012, 2009, 2006-1997)
  • Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Inc (1998)
  • UERMMMC - Institute for Studies in Diabetes Foundation, Inc (1991)

Workshops

  • Oral Care for Older patients Expert Workshop
    • Conrad Hotel, Singapore, April 2, 2015
  • Caries Expert Workshop
    • Midas Hotel, Roxas Blvd, Manila, October 18, 2013
  • Indication Based Selection of Oral Care Devices Workshop
    • Midas Hotel, Roxas Blvd, Manila, October 18, 2013
  • Oral Health and Systemic Health (Diabetes) Connection Workshop
    • Midas Hotel, Roxas Blvd, Manila, September 20, 2013
  • Expert Workshop on Tooth Sensitivity
    • Colgate Palmolive Philippines Inc, July 10, 2012

Personal Data

  • Name: Edmund Julian L. Ofilada, DDM
  • Date of Birth: April 27, 1966
  • Birth place: Manila, Philippines
  • Civil Status: Married
  • Email: mypohjd@gmail.com
  • Cell Phone no.: 63+ 9495741352

Education

  • Post-graduate Training: Externship Program in Hospital Dentistry and Oral Surgery
    • UP-PGH OPD Department of Hospital Dentistry and Oral Surgery
    • December 1990 - July 1991
      • Junior Term: President
      • Senior Term: Chief Extern
  • Dental Education: Univeristy of the Philippines-Manila, College of Dentistry
    • Degree: Doctor of Dental Medicine
  • Pre-dental Education: University of the Philippines, Diliman, College of Arts and Science
  • Secondary Education: Claret School of Quezon City
    • 1978 - 1982
  • Primary Education: Immaculate Conception Parish School - Quezon City
    • 1972 - 1978

Dental Liscensure Exam

  • Board of Dentistry, Professional Regulation Commission
    • May 1990, liscense no. 0028342

Project Oral Health for Juvenile Diabetics

Mission

To provide free dental treatment to kids and youth with type 1 diabetes. Oral health is largely neglected among families with type 1 diabetic children due to the high cost of managing diabetes. Our strategy is to provide insulin and other diabetes supplies to these families in order to encourage them to bring their children for dental treatment.

Timeline

  • 1995
    • As part of a WHO funded study on type 1 diabetic patients in Metro Manila, I was able to observe first-hand the high rate of tooth decay among this children and youth. They had an average of 10 decayed teeth. Concern for their teeth and dental treatment was low due to the overwhelming cost of insulin and blood glucose monitoring strips.
  • 1997
    • Project Oral Health for Juvenile Diabetics begun the year before but it was officially launched upon the arrival of a donation from the JAASH Ressei Committee in Japan worth $ 8,613.89.
  • 2010
    • By 2010, POHJD was successful in providing dental treatment to 100 type 1 diabetic patients. We were able to provide: 202 consultations and oral examinations, 114 pocket probing, and 431 x-rays. Restorative efforts to treat tooth decay resulted in: 226 Amalgam fillings, 209 Composite Restorations, and 14 Glass Ionomer restorations. There were only 19 Root Canal Treatment compared to 212 tooth extractions. Efforts to prevent tooth decay resulted in application of 226 pit and fissure sealants and 53 topical fluoride applications. 155 scaling and polishing (removal of tartar) and 28 root planings (treatment for periodontitis) were performed.
  • 2011
    • The First World Diabetes day-Focus on Oral Health was held in cooperation with the the Pediatric Endocrinology Section of the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital. Patients were given toothbrushing drills and short lectures on oral hygiene and dietary counseling.
  • 2014
    • The Second World Diabetes Day-Focus on Oral Health was held in St. Luke’s Medical with funding from the Inner Wheel Club of the Philippines. Patients from Peri-urban areas like Laguna, Cavite, and Bulacan were provided transportation money to come to SLMC for their dental treatment. Informational material on oral and health and diabetes were published from a grant from David M Consunji, Inc.
    • An App displaying some of the data obtained from POHJD can be viewed at https://docofi.shinyapps.io/ShinyApp15/ and http://www.rpubs.com/DocOfi/169246

Monograms and Educational Publications

  • Pangangalaga ng Ipin ng Diabetic
  • Pangangalaga ng ipin at gilagid ng isang may diabetes
    • An instructional brochure to educate diabetic patients about daily oral hygiene procedures needed to keep the mouth healthy.
  • Periodontal Disease and Diabetes
    • An instructional brochure designed to educate diabetic patients about periodontal disease.
  • Mga Paalala Tungkol sa Hypoglycemia
    • An instructional brochure to educate diabetic patients about how to avoid low blood sugar levels or hypoglycemia during dental visits.

Hobbies and Interests

Photography, Hiking, and Biking