Annual Review 2013 TropMed ISSN 1686-381X Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University Annual Review 2013 Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University of Tropical Faculty 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand 66 (0) 2354-9100-4, 66 (0) 2306-9100-9 Tel: 66 (0) 2354-9139 Fax: http://www.tm.mahidol.ac.th FOREWORD BY DEAN YAOWALARK SUKTHANA (1 OCt 2012 – Present) 2 INTERVIEW WITH DEAN PRATAP SINGHASIVANON (UNTIL 30 SEPT 2012) 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 D EPARTMENTS 11 Clinical Tropical Medicine 2 0 1 3 q 12 q Helminthology 14 q Medical Entomology 17 q Microbiology & Immunology 21 q Molecular Tropical Medicine & Genetics 25 q Protozoology 29 Annual Review ONTENTS q Social & Environmental Medicine 32 q Tropical Hygiene 36 q Tropical Nutrition & Food Science 40 q Tropical Pathology C 43 q Tropical Pediatrics 47 CENTERS / UNITS / COLLABORATIONS BIKEN-Endowed Department of Dengue Vaccine Development (BIKEN) 50 Center of Excellence for Antibody Research (CEAR) 51 Center of Excellence for Biomedical & Public Health Informatics (BIOPHICS) 54 Mahidol-Osaka Center for Infectious Diseases (MOCID) 57 Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) 60 Mahidol Vivax Research Unit (MVRU) 63 Malaria Consortium Asia 67 Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO TROPMED Thailand) 69 Vaccine Trial Center (VTC) 72 WHO Collaborating Centre for the Clinical Management of Malaria 74 WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) 75 BANGKOK SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE 76 HOSPITAL FOR TROPICAL DISEASES 78 COMMUNITY OUTREACH 80 ETHICS COMMITTEE 87 SUPPORT OFFICES Office of the Dean 89 Office of Educational Administration 90 Office of International Cooperation 92 Office of Research Services 94 Office of Policy & Strategic Planning 96 APPENDICES List of Publications 99 List of Presentations 123 Research in Progress 133 Faculty Graduates – Class of 2012 146 Consultants: Yaowalark Sukthana, Jitra Waikagul, Jetsumon Prachumsri Editor: Paul Adams Coordinator & Management: Pornpimon Adams Writers: Lorna Hon, Gary Hutton Editorial Staff: Ailada Angatchariya, Pitchapa Vutikes, Warissara Chaiyaphan, Sumeth Suebtrakul, Sivaporn Samung, Wijak Anowannaphan Graphic Design: Ronnachai Rarerng, Phaibul Vasanakomut Photographers: Prakit Kitsupee, Patiwat Sa-angchai, Tawan Wattanakul, Yudthana Samung PRODUCED BY: Publications Unit, Office of Research Services Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Rajvithi Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand Tel.: 66 (0) 2-354-9100-4, 66 (0) 2-306-9100-9; Fax: 66 (0) 2-354-9139; Web: www.tm.mahidol.ac.th An interview with the Dean Yaowalark Sukthana Assoc. Prof. Dr. he last year has seen substantial change in the learning among our centers and units. The vision, to be Faculty of Tropical Medicine, not just in terms of ‘One of the World’s Leaders in Tropical Medicine’, is Tthe research, education, and healthcare and non- tied inextricably to the Faculty’s ongoing commitment health academic services we provide, but also in terms to improving the quality of life of people in Thailand and of the administrative organization of the Faculty itself. South-East Asia; hence, why members of the TropMed With a new executive team coming in during family remain so focused. September 2012, our objective in the presentation of I wish to take the opportunity to express my personal this year’s Annual Review is to reflect upon all the appreciation to colleagues, staff, and our students, for the accomplishments of the previous 9 months, while also many and varied highlights of the past 12 months. Since highlighting some of the things the new team has set its inception in 1960, the Faculty has gone from strength about implementing during the first 3 months of its term. to strength, inspired and supported by its links to the The aim of the new executive is to build on the community as well as its global research partners. Faculty’s many previous successes, and to continue We remain committed to the policy of the 5Ps – seeking out opportunities for development and for shared People, Product, Policy, Participation and Planet. United action reflecting these themes will allow us to build on our already outstanding international reputation, strengthen our local and international profile, and enable us to deliver continuing improvements to those at risk of, and those affected by, tropical diseases. Over the last year, we have augmented our training and collaborating centers as part of our non- health academic services, thereby increasing capacity for consultation and knowledge management. We aim to continue to provide more customer-oriented services and fully establish our leading edge brand as a global research institute. Our ambition, while maintaining world-class standards in basic and translational research, and whilst expanding existing programs and developing new ones, continues to be to increase our cultural diversity and to Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University 2 Annual Review 2013 products of the Faculty’s strategy, to reinforce its position as a transnational hub and global reference center; not unlike an airport, with researchers arriving 24/7 from across the world to gain access to hi-tech facilities and “We remain committed consult internationally-recognized specialists regarding every issue of tropical medicine health concern. to producing research Looking to the next 12 months and beyond, of world-class quality as Dean of the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, I wish ” to reiterate my own open-door policy, and reaffirm my commitment and drive towards accountability and transparency across the very broad spectrum of the Faculty’s activities. We will continue to cultivate sustainability and an altogether more ecologically green workplace; reducing, reusing, recycling, and repairing resources as much as we can. In doing so, we will advance and consolidate Mahidol University’s #1 position in acquire further international accreditation as part of our Thailand (36th globally) on environmental performance development and drive for long-term growth. in the GreenMetric Ranking of World Universities. The past year has seen us establish various cross- In the promotion of integrative policies and disciplinary collaborations in the spirit of the wider ‘One encouraging participation, I wish to emphasize the pivotal Health approach’. The international scientific research component of my own vision. It is that the Faculty community has observed that, while lifestyle diseases such continues to nurture its most valuable resource, its as diabetes mellitus and hypertension continue to proliferate, people, as we explore, extend, and build upon our links other zoonotic diseases like leptospirosis, helminthiases in ASEAN as a unified regional community, as well as the and toxoplasmosis are impacting human populations at an international community at large. By continuing to invest increasingly alarming rate; similarly, many emerging and re- in human capital, nurturing and developing potential, and emerging tropical diseases are being transmitted by human- by furthering employee engagement, it is my hope that we animal-environmental interactions. So, we have begun the can fully realize all our shared goals; maximizing innovation process of drawing together the collective efforts of multiple and strengthening our public service commitments to ensure disciplines, for the purposes of better understanding the One that the Faculty, in 2013, has the capacity to surpass the Health triangle of people, animals and the environment. admirable achievements of 2012. Combining the efforts of doctors, veterinarians, researchers, environmental officers and public health officials in an organized way, locally and nationally, affords us greater leverage in addressing and managing these threats. Over the last 12 months, the Faculty of Tropical Medicine has encountered various challenges and made a number of significant advancements, many of which will be highlighted in this Annual Review. However, major challenges lie ahead. The implementation of key performance indicators that will enable us to measure future progress is critical. Benchmarking for continuous improvement with other key research institutes is also part of this progression. Research, education, healthcare and non-health academic services are all key facets and Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University Annual Review 2013 3 An interview with the former Dean Pratap Singhasivanon Assoc. Prof. Dr. TRANSITION IN 2012 ssoc. Prof. Pratap Singhasivanon, former Dean health when responding to zoonotic disease-related of the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, feels that issues. Our past has focused on the “developmental” side A“diseases that occur in one area can rapidly of research, but our future will be geared more towards affect other areas; therefore, global health is not just the the “discovery” nature of diseases. In collaboration with responsibility of governments anymore; it’s now the Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, our research findings responsibility of the global community.” Such has been can be implemented at the national or regional level, and the focus of the Faculty’s activities over the past year, integrated into global health policy development. culminating the past four-year period in office for Dr. Our Vaccine Trial Centre has made significant Pratap and his team at the Faculty of Tropical Medicine. findings in research in malaria and dengue, and continues With the advancements of modern life, climatic to be a world pioneer for conducting