Dr. Urusa Thaenkham Associate Professor of Helminthology

+66 (0) 2643 5600

Background

Dr. Urusa Thaenkham joined the Department of Helminthology, where she has teaching and research responsibilities, in 2004. She works with her department colleagues and regional collaborators on helminthology topics pertinent to Southeast Asia.

Dr. Urusa Thaenkham’s primary research area is food-borne trematodiases, infections caused by fluke larvae often through the consumption of raw fish, crustaceans or vegetables.

Affiliations

Department of Helminthology

Research

Dr. Urusa Thaenkham has an ongoing research interest in food-borne trematodiases and how to identify key fluke species and their cryptic forms. A previous study, supported The Thailand Research Fund, aimed to improve the quantitative detection and discrimination method for Opisthorchis viverrini and other Heterophyid intestinal flukes through development of a technique for discriminating species and estimating numbers of metacercariae of fish-borne trematodes.

In a recent study funded by the Agricultural Research Development Agency, she has been researching the effect of the phytochemical compounds in Thai stemona root on Gnathostoma spinigerum. With her team, she has found the compounds in the root to be more effective than conventional drugs.

In 2011 Dr Urusa Thaenkham received the Top Reviewer Award from the journal International Parasitology.

Qualifications

2010 Tropical Medicine, PhD Mahidol University, Thailand
2001 Environmental Biology MS Mahidol University, Thailand
1997 Biology BS Mahidol University, Thailand

Research Areas

  • Taxonomy of trematodes
  • Molecular diagnoses of trematodes
  • Helminth population genetics

Publications

Dr. Urusa Thaenkham has a total of 23 publications. The full list can be seen here.

Selected Publications

Genetic differences in the rat lungworm, Angiostrongyluscantonensis (Nematoda: Angiostrongylidae), in Thailand.
Dusitsittipon S, Thaenkham U, Watthanakulpanich D, Adisakwattana P, Komalamisra C.
J Helminthol. 2015, 89(5),545-51.
DOI: 10.1017/S0022149X14000388

Population structure of Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Nematoda: Metastrongylidae) in Thailand based on PCR-RAPD markers.
Thaenkham U, Pakdee W, Nuamtanong S, Maipanich W, Pubampen S, Sa-Nguankiat S, Komalamisra C.
Southeast Asian J TropMed Public Health. 2012, 43(3),567-73.
PMID: 23077835

Genetic differences among Vietnamese Haplorchis taichui populations using the COI genetic marker
Dung DT, Hop NT, Thaenkham U, Waikagul J.
J Helminthol. 2013, 87(1):66-70.
DOI: 10.1017/S0022149X12000041

Monophyly of Opisthorchis viverrini populations in the lower Mekong Basin, using mitochondrial DNA nad1 gene as the marker
Thaenkham U, Nuamtanong S, Sa-nguankiat S, Yoonuan T, Touch S, Manivong K, Vonghachack Y, Sato M, Waikagul J.
Parasitol Int. 2010, 59(2),242-7.
DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2010.02.009

Metacercarial polymorphism and genetic variation of Paragonimus heterotremus (Digenea: Paragonimidae), and a re-appraisal of the taxonomic status of Paragonimus pseudoheterotremus
Doanh PN, Thaenkham U, An PT, Hien HV, Horii Y, Nawa Y
J Helminthol.2015, 89(2),182-8.
DOI: 10.1017/S0022149X13000734

Discovery of Opisthorchis lobatus (Trematoda: Opisthorchiidae): a new record of small liver flukes in the Greater Mekong Sub-region
Thaenkham U, Nuamtanong S, Vonghachack Y, Yoonuan T, Sanguankiat S, Dekumyoy P, Prommasa B, Kobayashi J, Waikagul J.
J Parasitol.2011, 97(6),1152-8.
DOI: 10.1645/GE-2764.1

A molecular phylogeny of Asian species of the genus Metagonimus (Digenea)-small intestinal flukes-based on representative Japanese populations.
Pornruseetairatn S, Kino H, Shimazu T, Nawa Y, Scholz T, Ruangsittichai J, Saralamba NT, Thaenkham U.
Parasitol Res. 2016, 115(3),1123-30.
DOI: 10.1007/s00436-015-4843-y