Research Areas

Malaria has historically been an important research focus at MORU and is the result of close collaboration between several MORU departments. The programme includes a dedicated malaria research laboratory and a laboratory for molecular malariology. Clinical studies are conducted across a wide network of trial sites in Asia and Africa.

Malaria research focuses on elimination strategies; the genetics, biology and epidemiology of drug resistance; treatment of multidrug-resistant and severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria; and radical treatment of Plasmodium vivax malaria. It also includes developing a controlled human infection model to support research on P. vivax pathogenesis and treatment evaluation.

© Gerhard Jøren

The MORU Network works with local communities: from the village level to tertiary hospital level, studying the problems that impact their people. A broad research agenda is directed towards improved rates and quality of survival for mothers, infants, children and adolescents: aiming for culturally appropriate and scientifically robust solutions.

Public engagement helps sustain new knowledge and implement new findings, while identifying upcoming challenges or ongoing neglected areas of health. Research teams are embedded within local health care systems creating a win-win: local communities benefit and help drive research and local researchers progress academically building the capacity within their own country. 

With a focus on the clinical and laboratory aspects of bacterial and viral illnesses in Thailand and Southeast Asia, MORU’s microbiology and non-malaria research focuses on: antimicrobial resistance/drug-resistant infections (AMR/DRI); melioidosis; tropical immunology; cell biology; scrub typhus and rickettsiosis; SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19); emerging infectious diseases; the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases; and developing and evaluating rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs).

We are coordinating multinational research projects to improve the management of febrile illness in remote rural areas. We have microbiology laboratories (including two BSL3 containment facilities) at four sites in Thailand, as well as in Lao PDR and Cambodia.

Improving the management of critical illness in resource-limited settings can save many lives. As intensive care units (ICUs) become increasingly available across Asia, and in the context of the Wellcome Trust Innovations Flagship Programme, we have recently established a large ICU network in nine Asian countries.

MORU’s critical care research focuses on ICU data registries, quality of care assessment, and multicentre trials on infection prevention, ventilation, and sepsis. It includes adapting high-income country guidelines to low-resource settings, and piloting affordable monitoring and imaging technologies in partnership with the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU).

Part of CGHR and IDDO in Oxford and MORU with headquarters in Bangkok, the Medicine Quality Research Group focuses on improving our understanding of the epidemiology and impact of substandard and falsified (SF) medicines and vaccines that are major impediments to equity in access to health care, to inform policy and implementation.

We develop digital tools and collaborate across multiple disciplines to map SF product epidemiology, evaluate screening devices accuracy, and innovate forensic methods through FORESFA and VIE. Using tools like the Globe, Surveyor and DAFODIL, we analyse trade networks and propose solutions to improve medicine quality and patient safety.

Visit the Medicine Quality pages on the CGHR website

MORU applies mathematical, epidemiological, economic and statistical models to study tropical disease transmission and control in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Through active policy engagement, we identify priority research questions, implement data-driven solutions, and evaluate their real-world impact and effectiveness in collaboration with governments, stakeholders and communities.

We build modelling and data analysis capacity across Southeast Asia, supporting health innovation and implementation. Our statisticians design studies, analyse data, and train researchers. Working across disciplines, we address regional health challenges, from malaria to drug resistance, and advise on study design, statistical methods and ethical, clinical, and cost implications.

MORU has an active community and stakeholder engagement programme, supporting its vision to conduct research that improves the health and wellbeing of people in low-resource settings. We work with underserved groups to ensure our research is ethical, relevant and responsive to community needs, and inclusive.

Through community advisory boards, participatory projects, and interdisciplinary collaborations, we involve communities and partners in addressing complex global health challenges, from antimicrobial resistance to tuberculosis. Our innovative approaches, including arts, co-creation projects, and community conversations, support equitable health outcomes and promote trust in research. We also conduct research on bioethics, data sharing, and best community and public engagement practice in low-resource settings.

Visit the Bioethics and Engagement page

Download our brochure on Zenodo

MORU’s research on emerging infections focuses on genomic and immunological surveillance, antiviral evaluation and pandemic preparedness. With strong regional collaborations, MORU leads trials on respiratory viruses, repurposes drugs for rapid access, and uses adaptive platform trials to identify effective treatments quickly—supporting health responses in low- and middle-income countries.

Notably, MORU’s adaptive platform trials (the largest in the world) assess antiviral effectiveness using viral clearance rates, enabling faster, cost-effective comparisons of multiple treatments. This approach proved vital during COVID-19 and now supports global preparedness by evaluating therapies pre-pandemic. MORU also expands research into arboviruses like dengue and chikungunya, while ensuring access to affordable antiviral options globally.

Visit our page on Emerging Infections