OUCRU Indonesia (OUCRU network)

As of September 2022, the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Indonesia (OUCRU Indonesia) operates in partnership with the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia (FMUI), having been known as the Eijkman–Oxford Clinical Research Unit since its establishment in 2008. OUCRU Indonesia is part of the Wellcome Africa Asia Programme in Vietnam and is governed by the Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford.

Originally located within the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology on the Salemba campus in Central Jakarta, OUCRU Indonesia collaborates closely with FMUI and Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. Its research agenda is co-developed with Indonesian hosts and partners to ensure alignment with national health priorities. The unit aims to foster local capacity through impactful clinical research, contributing to improved health outcomes for patients with tropical and neglected infectious diseases.

OUCRU Indonesia has played a leading role in research into Plasmodium vivax malaria, which accounts for nearly half of Indonesia’s annual malaria cases. The parasite can cause recurring illness months after initial infection. Effective treatment requires two classes of drugs: one targeting the blood-stage infection and another for the dormant liver-stage. Research efforts address key genetic challenges related to the antimalarial drug primaquine, including its haemolytic toxicity in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and reduced efficacy due to CYP2D6 enzyme polymorphisms. OUCRU Indonesia investigates these challenges through diagnostic development and studies of molecular mechanisms to ensure safe and effective treatment.

In 2017, OUCRU Indonesia and FMUI jointly established the Indonesia–Oxford Clinical Research Laboratory (IOCRL) within the FMUI Department of Parasitology to expand clinical research in new areas, including central nervous system infections, tuberculosis (TB), HIV, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Notably, the unit has conducted a clinical trial of adjunctive dexamethasone therapy for TB meningitis in patients living with HIV—a significant issue in Indonesia. In response to the growing threat of AMR, the unit is also working to generate high-quality data on antibiotic access, use, and outcomes to support evidence-based policy and intervention development.

Beyond Jakarta, OUCRU Indonesia collaborates with institutions across the country, including the University of North Sumatra (Medan), Hasanuddin University (Makassar), Udayana University (Bali), the National Malaria Control Programme, and the Health Directorate of the Indonesian Army. It works with hospitals, clinics, and villages at study sites across Java, Sumatra, Bali, Alor and Sumba islands. The unit also leads malaria diagnostic and surveillance capacity-building services across 10 regional laboratories and 34 provinces, supported by the Global Fund and NMCP.

Internationally, OUCRU Indonesia contributes to research and policy consultations in Cambodia, Nepal and Pakistan, and regularly collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Delhi (SEARO), Manila (WPRO), and Cairo (EMRO) on research and policy consultations.