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Due to the diversity and international spread of our network, our vacancies are interesting and varied. We offer career development and training for all staff and students. Check out our jobs section to see local vacancies for Thai nationals, international opportunities advertised by Oxford, plus read about some of our researchers and how their careers have developed as part of this network.
\n \n\n \n \nCheck out our new Training pages for links and information on training courses, materials and resources available to MORU Network staff and students.
\n \n\n \n \nWe have been hosting students from Mahidol University, University of Oxford and Open University for over 20 years. Review our student pages to learn more about life as a MORU student, investigate the research that we do, identify a potential supervisor and find out how to apply.
\n \n\n \n \nMalaria is historically an important research focus of MORU, and results from close collaboration between many MORU departments. We have a dedicated laboratory for malaria research as well as a laboratory for molecular malariology. Clinical studies are performed in a wide network of clinical trial sites in Asia and Africa.
\n \n\n \n \nPatient-centred research is the core of our research activities, spanning 5 research units and over 50 research sites in Asia and Africa.
\n \n\n \n \nThe MORU Tropical Health Network, which hosts the \u2018Thailand Wellcome Africa and Asia Programme\u2019, conducts targeted clinical and public health research that aims to discover and develop appropriate, practical, affordable interventions that measurably improve the health of people living in resource-limited parts of the world.
\n \n\n \n \nMultidrug resistant P. falciparum malaria is now established in parts of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, causing high treatment failure rates for artemisinin combination therapies, the main falciparum malaria medicines.\r\nA further spread from Myanmar to India then sub-Saharan Africa would be a global public health disaster. TME seeks the best ways to eliminate drug-resistant malaria, using both technical solutions and novel ways that engage entire communities.
\n \n\n \n \nMalaria is the most important parasitic disease of man. Although most of the deaths occur in Africa, drug resistance has emerged from South-East Asia. Artemisinins, which are plant-derived compounds originally from the Chinese Materia Medica, are still today the best treatment for malaria, however, other drugs are also showing promising results. Clinical trials are also undertaken to find out the correct doses. All these developments contribute to our progress in getting malaria under control.
\n \n\n \n \nResearch is only as good as the evidence it generates, and data management is a critical part of this process since it supports findings. High quality data must be preserved for long term use and available to the research community. Ultimately, data is not about numbers, but about people's lives and health.
\n \n\n \n \nInfectious diseases are prevalent in Cambodia, a country that is struggling with poor infrastructure. Streptococcus pneumoniae causes the most severe form of pneumonia and is now targeted by the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. Dr Paul Turner is studying the effect of this vaccine in field conditions in SE Asia, as well as other direct applications such as the evaluation of a new diagnostic test for Typhoid and interventions to reduce the burden of infections acquired within hospitals.
\n \n\n \n \nWhereas children mortality has dramatically decreased over the past 15 years, almost half the remaining mortality still occurs during the first 4 weeks of age. Neonatology, or care of newborns, doesn't need to be difficult or expensive. Low cost intervertions involving communities, such as keeping babies warm, save lives.
\n \n\n \n \nA molecular microbiologist, Dr Janjira\u2019s research focusses on using bacterial typing based on genome to confirm which disease is present in a patient. She aims to develop a single whole genome sequence type test using mutliple-PCR assays that can determine from a single sample of blood what bacteria or viruses are present in a patient\u2019s blood \u2013 thereby speeding up diagnosis and potentially saving lives in resource-limited settings.
\n \n\n \n \nToo high a dose can result in toxicity and side-effects, too low a dose can cause the illness to come back and at worse develop resistance. In the case of malaria, it is particularly important to get the dosage right for more vulnerable patients such as children and pregnant women. Professor Joel Tarning's findings have now been adopted by the World Health Organisation.
\n \n\n \n \nAlthough malaria is decreasing in Myanmar, resistance to anti-malarials is on the rise in the region and the focus is now to treat people early, particularly in remote communities. MOCRU has set up a network of community health workers, trained and supplied with diagnostics, bednets and treatments, to help improve access to healthcare as well as produce the evidence to encourage policy changes.
\n \n\n \n \nHealthcare and research at the Thai-Burma border: Combining healthcare and research allow Professor Nosten to implement a new treatment regimen as soon as the results from clinical trials are available, which is beneficial to patients and highly rewarding for researchers.
\n \n\n \n \nPoor quality medicines are a serious threat to our health. Falsified medicines and substandards medicines are a problem for all countries, but particularly for low and middle income countries where we see, for example, a large epidemic of fake anti-malarial drugs. Globally, better medicine regulatory authorities will help improve the quality of our medicines.
\n \n\n \n \nIn pregnant women, severe malaria is responsible for high maternal mortality, and uncomplicated malaria results in in high morbidity. Careful documentation of treatments showed that, although not all drugs are available for pregnant women, early treatment can greatly increase the outcome of the pregnancy, and give that child a better chance at a productive life.
\n \n\n \n \nMalaria epidemiology focuses on two main challenges to malaria elimination: antimalarial drug resistance and the movement of people that are spreading the malaria parasite. Travel surveys and cellphone records, combined with population parasite genetics help predict the spread of malaria and of drug resistance. Close coordination with all groups and agencies involved is crucial to malaria surveillance and elimination strategies.
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