Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

The Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit (LOMWRU) is the MORU Tropical Health Network’s unit in the Lao PDR (Laos), active since 2002. LOMWRU’s headquarters are in the capital city, Vientiane, where it is embedded within the Microbiology Laboratory of Mahosot Hospital.

Street with large signboards in Lao language.

Directed by Elizabeth Ashley, the unit has 85 research and support staff. One third are Lao government staff led by Dr Manivanh Vongsouvath and the remainder are project funded LOMWRU staff. In Vientiane LOMWRU has conventional bacteriology, molecular and serology laboratories and the first BSL3 laboratory in Laos for rickettsial, Mycobacterium spp., B. pseudomallei and viral culture. We conduct clinical studies on a wide range of infectious diseases in Vientiane and also at a number of provincial hospitals and field sites in rural Laos and participates in multicentre studies across the MORU Network.

LOMWRU’s main objective is to conduct clinical research on diseases of public health importance, to contribute directly to health improvement in Laos and similar communities with little health information across Asia. LOMWRU builds diagnostic, clinical and research capacity and, with the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) and the Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO), conducts a diversity of research projects on medicine quality epidemiology, diagnostics, forensics and advocacy.

LOMWRU supports the infectious disease diagnostic service of Mahosot Hospital and assists other Lao hospitals, including in the investigation of epidemics. We have over 75 collaborations, 16 within Lao PDR, and 45 International collaborations (in addition to collaborations with MORU, SMRU, COMRU, MOCRU and OUCRU).