Phrutsamon Wongnak
Mathematical modeller
I am a veterinary epidemiologist specialising in mathematical and statistical modelling of infectious diseases, with a focus on zoonoses and vector-borne diseases. My past research spans a range of pathogens at the human-animal interface, including tick ecology and tick-borne diseases, zoonotic parasites in companion animals, rabies, leptospirosis, and transboundary animal diseases across Southeast Asia.
More recently, I have worked as a data analyst within the Clinical Trials Support Group at MORU, where I have been involved in pharmacometric analyses for large adaptive platform trials for antivirals against respiratory infections, including PLATCOV (COVID-19), AD ASTRA (influenza), and ARSYNAL-FC (RSV).
My main interest going forward is in neglected tropical diseases, particularly mite- and tick-borne diseases, such as scrub typhus and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome. I plan to develop a research programme combining field-based vector surveillance with ecological and transmission modelling, to better understand what drives spillover risk and how surveillance and control efforts can be more effectively targeted. I am particularly interested in how climate and environmental change shape vector distributions and disease risk over time.