Month: February 2022

on February 24, 2022, Associate Professor Wimonrat Sriraj, MD, Associate Dean for Research and International Affairs, MD, welcomed Dr. Andrea Grillo from the Italian Society of Nephrology and Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest Local Health Unit Northwest Tuscany, Italy, to a meeting with colleagues from MD-KKU Chronic Kidney Disease Research Team.

The meeting, held in Kawee Tungsubutr Meeting Room, MD-KKU, was to exchange and compare academic knowledge and management of Kidney Disease prevention for populations in the northeast region of Thailand and in Meso, or, Central America Continent: Nicaragua.

The meeting discussed possibilities for cooperative research projects between relevant teams across Thailand, Italy, and Nicaragua.

Speakers at the meeting were:

1. Dr. Andrea Grillo, PhD, on “CKD in Nicaragua”,
2. Associate Professor Sirirat Anutrakulchai, MD, CKD Research Group, MD-KKU, on KKU “CKD Net”, and
3. Assistant Professor Dr. Ubol Cha-on, CKD Research Group, MD-KKU, on “Community/ Basic research to detect the root of problems and for sustainable correction”

Others Thai delegates who participated in the meeting were:

1) Dr. Jutarop Petcharaburanin, MBBS, PhD, Assistant Dean for Research and International Relations

2) Professor John F. Smith, PhD, International Relations Office

3) Professor Somchai Pinlaor, PhD, Parasitology Department

4) Dr. Amod Sharma, PhD, CKD Research Group

5) Assist. Prof. Dr. Ratthaphol  Kraiklang from the Public Health Faculty, Khon Kaen University.

6) Dr. Apinya Jusakul, from the Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University.

7) Dr. Apisit Chaidee, from the Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University.

Here is a news link about KKU’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS): Chronic Kidney Disease Prevention in the Northeast of Thailand (CKDNET) https://www.kku.ac.th/12104.

Reported by Duangsamorn Chankwang, IR Office, MD-KKU

Associate Professor Apichat Jiravuttipong, MD, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University recently welcomed Professor Piotr (Peter) Sicinski, MD, PhD, Department of Genetics, and Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Ferber Cancer Institute, Harvard University, USA, to MD-KKU.  Professor Sicinski visited Khon Kaen between 9 and 13, 2022, as an overseas visiting professor in the Division of Research and International Relations Affairs.  During his visit he was the keynote speaker on “Cell cycle machinery in development and in cancer” at the Joint symposium of Prince Mahidol Award Youth Program (PMAYP) and eAsia Meeting on “Targeting cell cycle for precision treatment of cancer” and “Advanced technology for cancer research”.  He also gave a special talk on “How a medical doctor came to be outstanding scientist” and contributed to “Meet the mentor” supervisory round table discussion.  Professor Sicinski to MD-KKU give our medical students valuable opportunity to interact with a world class clinician/ researcher, to stimulate their future medical practice and research.

Associate Professor Wimonrat Sriraj, MD, Associate Dean for Research and International Affairs, Professor Sopit Wongkham, Associate Professor Atith Silsirivanit, Acting Head of Department of Biochemistry, and Dr. Jarupong Saengboonmee, Department of Biochemistry, MD-KKU, also participated the joint symposium.

At a business meeting on February 11, 2022, Dean Apichat Jiravuttipong and Professor Peter Sicinski, discussed:

• the development of collaborative research between MD-KKU and Dana-Farbor Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, with Professor Peter Sicinski and Dr. Jarupong Saengboonmee as Principal Investigators.
• the development of a joint course between MD-KKU and Harvard Medical School. Fortunately, Professor Peter is the Director of that particular course at Harvard Medical School.
• the Dean also arranged for Professor Sicinski to visit the Kidney Dialysis Unit in the HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana Memorial Building in Srinagarind Hospital.

Professor Sicinski also have discussed with Associate Dean for Research and International Relations approaches for promoting medical students’ research skills.  Reported by Duangsamorn Chankwang, IR Office, MD-KKU