Dr. Saranath Lawpoolsri Niyom Assistant Professor in Epidemiology

Background

Dr. Saranath Lawpoolsri is both the Deputy Head of the Department of Tropical Hygiene as well as the Head of Biomedical Informatics at BIOPHICS. In these dual roles she has responsibility for both teaching and research.

Her primary research area is malaria elimination, particularly in low transmission settings. This is an issue especially relevant in Thailand and neighbouring countries.

Dr. Saranath Lawpoolsri frequently collaborates with international scientists, and is currently working with the U.S. Army International Technology Center, Pacific providing consultation on epidemiological and disease transmission aspect of a diseases surveillance study.

Affiliations

Department of Tropical Hygiene
Center of Excellence for Biomedical and Public Health Informatics (BIOPHICS)

Research

Dr. Saranath Lawpoolsri has three current research projects, covering malaria, dengue, tuberculosis and diabetes. The U.S. Army International Technology Center, Pacific collaboration “Bayesian Approach to Situation Awareness in Crowdsensing for Disease Surveillance” aims to develop a model to improve the prediction of disease occurrence, including malaria and dengue.

With other Faculty researchers, she is involved in an epidemiological and Immunological study of dengue in rural areas. This project aims to determine baseline epidemiological factors, including host, vector, and environment for dengue transmission in rural area by following a cohort of people in a rural area.

Dr. Saranath Lawpoolsri’s Faculty funded study “Impact of diabetes on Tuberculosis treatment response” will determine the prevalence of diabetes among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in the northern Thailand.

A recently finished project, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, developed Diploma and Master’s level curriculums in Biomedical and Health informatics, in order to promote quality teaching and learning this expanding area of bioscience.

Qualifications

2013 Public Health Informatics Diploma University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
2009 Epidemiology, PhD University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA
2003 Diploma of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Mahidol University, Thailand
2001 Medicine, MD Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

Research Areas

  • Epidemiology of malaria
  • Spatial and mathematical modelling

Publications

Dr. Saranath Lawpoolsri has a total of 30 publications. The full list can be seen here.

Selected Publications

Long-term impact of childhood malaria infection on school performance among school children in a malaria endemic area along the Thai-Myanmar border.
Vorasan N, Pan-Ngum W, Jittamala P, Maneeboonyang W, Rukmanee P, Lawpoolsri S.
Malaria Journal. 2015; 14:401
DOI: 10.1186/s12936-015-0917-7

Optimally timing primaquine treatment to reduce Plasmodium falciparum transmission in low endemicity Thai-Myanmar border populations.
Lawpoolsri S, Klein EY, Singhasivanon P, Yimsamran S, Thanyavanich N, Maneeboonyang W, et al.
Malaria Journal. 2009;8:159
DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-8-159

The impact of human reservoir of malaria at a community-level on individual malaria occurrence in a low malaria transmission setting along the Thai-Myanmar border.
Lawpoolsri S, Chavez IF, Yimsamran S, Puangsa-Art S, Thanyavanich N, Maneeboonyang W, et al.
Malaria Journal. 2010;9:143.
DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-9-143

Artemisinin resistance containment project in Thailand. II: responses to mefloquine-artesunate combination therapy among falciparum malaria patients in provinces bordering Cambodia.
Satimai W, Sudathip P, Vijakadge S, Khamsiriwatchara A, Sawang S, Potithavoranan T, Sangvichean A, Delacollette C, Singhasivanon P, Kaewkungwal J, Lawpoolsri S.
Malaria Journal. 2012;11(1):300.
DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-300

Real-time monitoring of school absenteeism to enhance disease surveillance: a pilot study of a mobile electronic reporting system.
Lawpoolsri S, Khamsiriwatchara A, Liulark W, Taweeseneepitch K, Sangvichean A, Thongprarong W, et al.
JMIR mHealth and uHealth. 2014;2(2):e22.
DOI: 10.2196/mhealth.3114