Thanaporn Wattanakul

Thanaporn Wattanakul is the Head of Pharmacometrics at the Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU). Her research focuses on optimising drug treatment strategies for infectious diseases, particularly malaria, through pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modelling. Her work aims to improve treatment outcomes in populations that are often underrepresented in clinical research, including infants, children, pregnant women, and lactating women, whose unique physiological characteristics can substantially influence drug exposure, efficacy, and safety.

A major focus of her work is the use of quantitative modelling approaches to characterise the relationship between drug dosing, pharmacokinetics, and treatment response, with the goal of identifying evidence-based dosing strategies that maximise therapeutic benefit while minimising the risk of treatment failure and drug resistance. While much of her work has centred on malaria, her research interests also extend to tuberculosis, fungal infections, and other neglected tropical diseases.

In addition, her work integrates PK/PD modelling with health economics and cost-effectiveness analysis. By linking drug exposure, clinical outcomes, and economic impact, she seeks to support efficient and equitable healthcare decision-making, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where resources are limited and disease burdens are high. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and quantitative pharmacology, her research aims to translate these findings into practical recommendations that inform treatment guidelines, clinical practice, and health policy.