Professor Guy Thwaites
Contact information
Podcast interview
Tuberculosis meningitis

Tuberculosis meningitis affects a fractions of TB patients but causes high levels of mortality and morbidity. A recent trial at OUCRU showed that aspirin can greatly improve outcomes. Such trial is typical of the work done in our Vietnam units, where all the research is focussed on improving the outcome for patients directly.
Research groups
Colleges
Guy Thwaites
Professor of Infectious Diseases
Guy Thwaites is an academic infectious diseases physician and clinical microbiologist. He has a global research focus on life-threatening infections, especially tuberculosis and tuberculous meningitis, aiming to translate high-quality clinical trials and mechanistic science into better outcomes and policy. Guy lived and worked in southeast Asia for 17 years. He was Director of the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), a Wellcome Trust Major International Programme, from October 2013 to January 2026. OUCRU conducts interdisciplinary research across Vietnam, Indonesia, and Nepal. Guy has spent the last 20 years building and leading large international teams and partnerships spanning governments, hospitals, WHO, and industry. He was appointed MBE for services to public health and Vietnam–UK relations in 2021, and is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Recent publications
Genotype-stratified adjunctive dexamethasone for tuberculous meningitis in HIV-negative adults: a randomized controlled phase 3 trial
Journal article
Donovan J. et al, (2026), Nature Medicine, 32, 849 - 858
Modeling the transmission dynamics and control strategies during the 2017 diphtheria outbreak in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Journal article
Djaafara BA. et al, (2026), Infectious Disease Modelling, 11, 1 - 15
Rebalancing global infectious diseases trials: from dependency to partnership
Journal article
Rahardjani M. et al, (2026), Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 32, 216 - 218
A clinical practice guideline for tuberculous meningitis.
Journal article
Donovan J. et al, (2026), The Lancet. Infectious diseases, 26, e96 - e111
The role of the UNITE4TB Young Investigators Group in empowering early career researchers through mentorship, capacity building, and innovation.
Journal article
Vasiliu A. et al, (2026), IJTLD open, 3, 105 - 107