Wellcome Trust South-east Asia Programme

The Wellcome Trust South-east Asia (SEA) Programmes are based in Thailand and Vietnam.

The two programmes are:

• Thailand, with the main laboratories and offices in the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, and research sites across Thailand in Mae Sot (Shoklo Malaria Research Unit), Ubon Ratchatani, Udon Thani and also in Vientiane Lao PDR.
• Vietnam, where the Programme is located at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City.

Directors

• South-east Asia Programme Chairman
  Professor Nicholas White
• Thailand Director - Bangkok
  Professor Nick Day
• Director in Mae Sot
  Professor Francois Nosten
• Director in Lao PDR
  Dr Paul Newton
• Vietnam Director
  Professor Jeremy Farrar

Activities

Research activities in Thailand focus on clinical, basic and epidemiological aspects of malaria, melioidosis, leptospirosis and fungal diseases.A major component of the Programme is the study of malaria, especially the use of artemisinin-based therapies, the biology of resistant malaria parasites, the mechanisms of antimalarial resistance and the treatment of malaria in pregnant women. An offshoot of the Thailand research programme has started in the Laos, led by Dr Paul Newton, looking into malaria, typhoid, septicaemias, causes of fever, drug quality and beri-beri.

In Vietnam, the research foci are malaria, dengue, typhoid, tetanus, tuberculosis, meningitis and other CNS infections.

Collaborating institutions

In Thailand, the Programme works in collaboration with the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, and collaborating hospitals in Mae Sot, Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani. The work in Laos is conducted in collaboration with Mahosot Hospital in Vientiane.

In Vietnam, the Programme in Ho Chi Ming City is closely integrated within the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, a tertiary referral centre for Vietnam and also the National Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases (NITD) in Hanoi.

UK collaborating institutions

The Programme has direct collaborative links with the University of Oxford, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, St George's Hospital Medical School and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Wellcome Trust-funded Fellows based at the Programme

Professor Nicholas White, University of Oxford, is the current Chairman of the Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme, and is a Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow. The Programme also hosts clinical and basic scientists holding a range of Wellcome Trust intermediate and training fellowships.