Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City recently hosted a scientific conference titled \u201cApplying Artificial Intelligence and Big Data in Clinical Practice for Infectious Diseases.\u201d
A new report charts a roadmap to make Vietnam a top-three ASEAN destination for clinical trials by 2030. It outlines challenges and solutions to unlock economic and health benefits. Aligning with global best practice can position Vietnam as a hub for life-saving research and innovation.
This May, countries worldwide mark Mental Health Awareness Week under the theme community. OUCRU highlights research from Vietnam showing how social connections support mental wellbeing. With localised resources and expert guidance, we aim to reduce stigma, encourage open conversations, and empower individuals and communities to care for mental health\u2014together.
Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) announced promising results from the VIETNARMS trial, a years-long multi-arm clinical trial conducted in Vietnam. The trial found that the readily available and affordable Hepatitis C treatment sofosbuvir/daclatasvir had a >95% cure rate. The results offer important insights into new treatment regimens for Hepatitis C, potentially reducing treatment durations and halving treatment costs.
Years of groundwork have led Mahidol University Assistant Professor Dr Thitinan Kitisin to his first major step: leading an advanced vaccine research project in Thailand. With support from MODRA, he\u2019s now developing one of the first tonsil organoid models in the country, a small but important step toward improving how vaccines are tested. Along the way, he\u2019s also passing on practical research skills to the next generation of Thai scientists.
Professor Buddha Basnyat has received the NHRC Lifetime Achievement Award for Health Research in Nepal. The Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) recently conferred its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for Health Research upon Professor Basnyat at the 11th National Summit of Health and Population Scientists. This honour recognises his exceptional contributions to medical research and public health over a career spanning more than five decades.
At OUCRU Nepal, microbiologist Sulochana Manandhar spent much of her early career at the lab bench, examining bacteria, fine-tuning methods, and chasing answers to scientific questions. Now, with support from the MODRA programme, she\u2019s leading her first hospital-based study, bringing new attention to neonatal health risks in Nepal.
The world is facing a shortage of 11 million health workers by 2030. World Health Worker Week calls for increased investment in all cadres of the health workforce - nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and others vital to resilient health systems. Health workers save lives, support economies, and advance development goals. Collaborative efforts, such as OUCRU\u2019s training programme in Dak Lak, Vietnam, demonstrate the benefits of investment, with increased vaccine uptake. Protecting, valuing, and training health workers strengthens global health.
Dr Duong Thi Hue Kien, a Post-doc Scientist at OUCRU, has shared her experience of finishing her PhD and kickstarting her career in science. She documents the highs and the lows, as well as how she was able to move forward in her career with support from the MORU\u2013OUCRU Discovery Research Academy.
Ranking 11th globally in antibiotic use, Vietnam faces a serious risk of drug resistance, \u2018running out of treatment options due to antibiotic resistance\u2019.
OUCRU Ho Chi Minh City recently hosted a three-day Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training course. The course, organised by OUCRU and the UK\u2019s Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, welcomed 25 participants selected for their potential to drive innovation across diverse organisations, including non-profit, for-profit, social profit, and governmental bodies.
Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is a severe form of tuberculosis with high mortality and long-term disability risks, especially in children aged 1\u20135. It accounts for 1\u20135% of TB cases. WHO recommends a new 6-month treatment alternative to the traditional 12-month regimen. OUCRU is conducting a trial to assess its effectiveness. The project also addresses post-treatment support through a community advisory board and co-designed resources, aiming to improve care and outcomes for TBM-affected children and their families.
From 18-19 February 2025, a workshop focusing on the social, ethical, and engagement aspects of pandemic preparedness took place in Da Nang, Vietnam. Thirty-one participants from five Southeast Asian countries attended, representing health research, academia, policy, community engagement, and local community organisations.
OUCRU Ho Chi Minh recently concluded its annual three-day intensive care training program in Vietnam, made possible through the generous funding of Dragon Capital. Building upon the success of previous iterations, this year\u2019s training aims to equip Vietnamese healthcare professionals with the latest advancements in intensive care management, particularly for life-threatening infectious diseases.
A survey at Vietnam's National Hospital for Tropical Diseases found 60% of hepatitis C patients unaware of how they contracted the disease, often diagnosed late. Globally, viral hepatitis causes 3,500 daily deaths, ranking second among infectious killers after tuberculosis. Advances in treatment affordability and public health policies aim to improve outcomes. OUCRU's research explores cultural and psychological factors impacting diagnosis and care, supporting WHO's goal to eliminate hepatitis by 2030.
A team of researchers at OUCRU was recently awarded a multi-million-dollar Discovery Award from the Wellcome Trust to develop AI tools to advance pneumonia research.
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, observed on February 11, serves as a reminder of the gender disparities that persist in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
OUCRU Ha Noi and the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases (NHTD), under the guidance of the Department of Health, are collaborating to establish local hospital networks for Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) across Vietnam. This initiative, connecting district hospitals with provincial hospitals, leverages existing systems and resources to enhance AMS implementation and strengthen efforts against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
High numbers of mental health issues in children and adolescents highlight the urgent need for a systematic approach to young people\u2019s mental health and the importance of developing support systems at home, in schools, and throughout society. OUCRU Collab Lab\u2018s mission is to make health science, including mental health, research more accessible and relatable to young people, and university students are their main target audience and stakeholders.
On November 22, 2024, the Zoonoses research group at OUCRU, in collaboration with Children's Hospital 2, Ho Chi Minh City, successfully organised a scientific workshop: \"Community-acquired pneumonia: Update on pneumococcal infection with vaccines, drug resistance and multiple infections\". The workshop attracted nearly 70 experts, including doctors, nurses, medical students, and technicians.
A new study has found methaemoglobin levels during treatment for vivax malaria could be used to predict whether a patient would have recurrent malaria.
OUCRU researchers from Indonesia, Nepal, and Vietnam contributed to the newly published WHO research priorities for AMR. These top 40 priorities, developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) with global collaborators, aim to guide research into drug-resistant infections over the next five years, with a special focus on challenges faced by low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health and socioeconomic crisis. Regardless of its impact on human and animal health, food production, and the environment that could happen to everyone, everywhere, there\u2019s still much to be done to raise public and stakeholder awareness. A global online survey of nearly 200 stakeholders from human, animal, plant, and environmental health sectors also highlighted the need for increased public awareness and action.
OUCRU and the Phu Tho Department of Health have partnered to improve antibiotic stewardship and microbiology capabilities in underserved districts of the province. A recent semi-final meeting was held to review the project's progress and celebrate its achievements.
A nationwide study led by Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia (FMUI) and OUCRU Indonesia found that 9 out of 10 hospitals in a sample of 575 across 34 provinces of Indonesia had a formal Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme. But only half of those had reached a development level where they could run a robust, functional stewardship programme.
The 5th Annual BactiVac Network Meeting, co-hosted by the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) and the Bacterial Vaccines Network, took place from 4-7 November 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Vietnam remains a country with a high tuberculosis burden, with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) being particularly challenging to detect early, often leading to severe neurological sequelae in patients. With the mission of addressing global health issues, Collab Lab, an initiative led by OUCRU\u2019s Public and Community Engagement group, has chosen to animate a publication about TBM, aims to raise awareness about tuberculosis in general, TBM, and the importance of BCG vaccination for children.
In a new study published in eLife Journal, OUCRU researchers identified gene activity signatures in the blood of patients with a life-threatening form of tuberculosis.
Did you know that dengue fever cases have witnessed a ten-fold surge in the past two decades? This tropical disease continues to be a global health situation. The fight against dengue has become increasingly complicated due to drastic changes in mosquito behavior and geographical distribution. Traditionally, we\u2019ve focused on preventing mosquito bites. But now, researchers are asking a crucial question: What happens when the dengue virus passes from mosquito to mosquito? Through vertical transmission - where a mother mosquito passes the virus to her offspring - could baby mosquitoes also spread dengue? If so, we\u2019re facing a new threat and have to develop new strategies against this new enemy, baby mosquitos!
Forum Theatre, a branch of the so-called Theatre of the Oppressed, is an interactive and participatory form of theatre developed by Brazilian theatre practitioner Augusto Boal in the 1970s. This unique approach has the potential to explore a community\u2019s voice and raise awareness by empowering people with a tool that encourages them to change reality through their own suggestions for real social issues.
On 14 October 2024, a delegation from Wellcome visited OUCRU Indonesia to deepen their understanding of the unit\u2019s research, learn about its collaborations with various partners, and gain insights into its capacity-building initiatives for local researchers.
10th October is World Mental Health Day. This year\u2019s official theme, \u201cIt\u2019s Time to Prioritise Mental Health in the Workplace,\u201d once again emphasised the importance of mental health in professional settings. The global campaign aimed to advocate for improved mental healthcare systems and procedures in workplaces, ensuring employees feel their mental health is prioritised, protected, and promoted.
Luu Phuoc An, a PhD student at NDM\u2019s Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), is dedicated to improving end of life care in Vietnam. Her research explores the complex cultural, emotional, and medical aspects of death and dying in hospital settings.
The MORU-OUCRU Discovery Research Academy (MODRA) recently concluded its inaugural workshop in Bangkok. This intensive five-day programme equipped 15 promising postdoctoral researchers with the skills required to complete a high-quality seed proposal.
OUCRU Youth Science Ambassadors (YSA) project, launched in 2021, has become a key youth engagement activities of OUCRU\u2019s Public and Community Engagement Group. Becoming part of the project, young participants are empowered to lead, propose, plan, and execute their own initiatives addressing specific issues they identify themselves.
OUCRU Hanoi\u2019s new study has found high levels of acceptability for a point-of-care testing service to improve antibiotic dispensing for respiratory infections in Vietnamese pharmacies.
A recent study identified key factors contributing to the tuberculosis burden in Ho Chi Minh City, conducted by researchers from the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam (OUCRU) and Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital.
Four years after being derailed by scientific fraud and politicised science in the first year of the pandemic, COPCOV, the world\u2019s largest COVID-19 chemoprevention study, finally published results today that showed that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) does have a moderate benefit in preventing COVID-19.
We are delighted to announce that seven of our researchers have been awarded the title of Professor, in recognition of their research achievements, contribution to teaching, and contribution to the general work of the Nuffield Department of Medicine.
The Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia (FMUI) and OUCRU Indonesia have completed a phase 2 clinical trial for two new malaria vaccines developed by Sanaria Inc. This is the first malaria vaccine trial ever conducted in Indonesia and the first in the Asia-Pacific region in over 30 years.
OUCRU Indonesia scientist, Dr Edward Sutanto MPH, was awarded \u2018Best Poster Presentation\u2019 in the topic of Vaccine and Immunology at the International Pandemic Sciences Conference 2024. Edward\u2019s poster showcased a recently completed study on Covid-19 vaccines for pregnant women in Indonesia.
At OUCRU, we have integrated public and community engagement projects into our research program since 2011. But what exactly is community engagement (and involvement), and why is it important to global health research? Let\u2019s take a look at the summary of a new free course on MESH, a community engagement knowledge and professional support hub by The Global Health Network, and the research outputs made by and led by community members at OUCRU throughout the years to find out.
The Malariaworld exhibition was developed in conjunction with World Malaria Day 2024 to raise awareness of malaria and malaria research, and to highlight some of our contributions to malaria research. You can now visit our virtual exhibition!
The MORU \u2013 OUCRU Discovery Research Academy (MODRA) is thrilled to announce the selection of its first cohort of the programme. The MORU \u2013 OUCRU Discovery Research Academy (MODRA), funded by Wellcome, is a collaborative initiative by the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) and the Madihol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) to nurture the next generation of scientific leaders in low- and middle-income (LMICs) countries of South Asia.
A recent publication by OUCRU researchers, published in the journal Public Health Action, highlights the importance of community engagement in TB research.
In June 2024, OUCRU organised a training course \"Agent-based Modelling (ABM) with GAMA\" in Ho Chi Minh City. Participants from multiple countries explored the practical application of ABM in health science through theoretical lectures, practical sections, and collaborative group projects.
In a new study published in The Lancet, a team of international researchers has highlighted the urgent need for action to address the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.
On 20 May in Hanoi, Dr Mary Chambers and Associate Professor Sonia Lewycka presented on One Health activities at OUCRU, highlighting the essential role of public engagement and communication with various communities in raising awareness as well as how to integrate One Health approach and climate change into infectious diseases research.
On 31st May, the Public and Community Engagement Group at OUCRU re-launched the Science Visit project. This event saw 25 enthusiastic students from Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, the Phillipines, and Cambodia. This student group is a part of the ASEAN Social Impact Program (ASIP), visit OUCRU. They joined a lab tour and participated in several group games centered around the clinical trials process.
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