Dr. Patchara Sriwichai Medical Entomology

+66 (0) 23549100, Ext 1575

Background

Dr. Patchara Sriwichai is currently an instructor and researcher at the Department of Medical Entomology at Mahidol University in Thailand. She teaches students from the Diploma, MSc, and PhD courses at the Bangkok School of Tropical Medicine and is an Investigator on two current malaria vector projects.

She works with international collaborators from Pennsylvania State University in the United States, and with the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, based in Melbourne, Australia as well as having a strong relationship with the Bureau of Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health in Thailand.

Her main research focuses on vector biology and transmission dynamics of malaria vectors found along the borders of Thailand. She is also interested in vector-parasite relationships, the development and evaluation of vector surveillance as a warning system and improving vector suppression in malaria endemic areas.

Affiliations

Department of Medical Entomology

Research

Dr. Patchara Sriwichai currently works on the International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research (ICEMR) project funded in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), a project that aims to provide in-depth understanding of malaria-vector relationships. Vector capacity and transmission dynamics were part of the preliminary study and she has acted as an Investigator in the Entomological core. She is also the investigator for projects funded by NIH, D43, and U19AI089672. The goal of these projects is to investigate malaria vectors, their transmission dynamics, and vector biology along the Thai-Myanmar border.

Her research has focused on Thai malaria – vector interactions in terms of mosquito immune gene expression during parasite invasion. Her studies of gene expression in local mosquito species (Anopheles dirus), has found novel and interesting genes which appear to be involved in vector competence in response to malaria infection. This finding has been extended with further surveys of natural Anopheles community structures, their seasonal dynamics and malaria susceptibility. This has further illustrated the potential roles of different anopheline species in transmitting human malaria.

Her research has helped train local entomologists in improving routine surveillance and resulted in the development of new vector trapping techniques and early warning systems. She begins to fill gaps in malaria vector knowledge and help inform suitable vector control programs, feeding into the plan for the effective pre-elimination phase in the region.

In 2015, she received a Research Training Fellowship from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia to train in mathematical modelling of malaria vector transmission.

Qualifications

2006 Tropical Medicine PhD Mahidol University, Thailand
2002 Medical Technology MSc Mahidol University, Thailand
1999 Medical Technology BSc Mahidol University, Thailand

Research Areas

  • Vector biology
  • Vector parasite relationship
  • Medical Entomology

Publications

Selected publications by Dr. Patchara Sriwichai are listed below. The full list can be seen in NCBI.

Selected Publications

Natural human Plasmodium infections in major Anopheles mosquitoes in western Thailand.
Sriwichai P, Samung Y, Sumruayphol S, Kiattibutr K, Kumpitak C, Payakkapol A, et al.
Parasites & Vectors. 2016;9(1):17.

Evaluation of CDC light traps for mosquito surveillance in a malaria endemic area on the Thai-Myanmar border.
Sriwichai P, Karl S, Samung Y, Sumruayphol S, Kiattibutr K, Payakkapol A, et al.
Parasites & Vectors. 2015;8(1):636.

Cloning of a trypsin-like serine protease and expression patterns during Plasmodium falciparum invasion in the mosquito, Anopheles dirus (Peyton and Harrison).
Sriwichai P, Rongsiryam Y, Jariyapan N, Sattabongkot J, Apiwathnasorn C, Nacapunchai D, Paskewitz S.
Arch Insect Biochem Physiol. 2012 Aug;80(3):151-65.