Abrenian doctor presents advanced HIV case at international medical conference in Washington

ABRA — Dr. Carl Stephen Bersamin Seares, son of Abra Vice Governor Anne Bersamin, presented a clinical case of advanced Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) at IDWeek 2026, an international conference for infectious disease professionals held in Washington, D.C.

Seares is a second-year internal medicine resident at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago, Illinois, and a graduate of Far Eastern University-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation in Quezon City.

His presentation, titled Weight Loss and Skin Lesions in Advanced HIV, was featured during the conference session on challenging cases in infectious diseases. The case focused on a patient with advanced HIV and a fungal infection affecting the skin, illustrating the diagnostic difficulties of distinguishing between infections that present with similar clinical and laboratory findings. Seares presented the case to a panel of infectious disease specialists, describing the session as a chance to represent his hospital on an international level during his residency.

Seares developed an interest in infectious diseases while working with LoveYourself, a Philippine non-governmental organization providing services to individuals living with HIV. That experience influenced his ongoing work in HIV care and his intention to pursue fellowship training in infectious diseases.

He acknowledged colleagues from Rush University Medical Center and John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County for their assistance in preparing the presentation. Seares currently practices internal medicine at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.