About

Who we are

MVRU is a major unit of the Malaria Excellence Centre of the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University. Founded in 2011 under the leadership of Dr. Jetsumon Sattabongkot, the MVRU has grown from 8 staff to over 30 currently. With full access to Mahidol University facilities and supporting infrastructure, including well equipped field laboratories in malaria endemic sites, MVRU has established itself as a leader in Plasmodium vivax research. The unit has attracted many international research supports aiming to drive malaria elimination.

How we achieve our goals

Working closely with community leaders in the endemic areas of Thailand and leading international scientists, we have built a strong collaborative network to support frontier research in vivax malaria. Population-based studies (social and epidemiological) have been a major part of our research to advance understanding of risk factors, trends of infection, and impacts of different interventions.

Fresh P. vivax parasites from patients and asymptomatic carriers allows investigation of the biology of all stages of the parasite. With our high-quality colonies of Anopheline mosquitos, we can study malaria transmission in the well-controlled laboratory settings. Our high-capacity production of female An. dirus also enables studies and drug screening against the elusive liver-stage parasites including hypnozoites.

What's next

Over the next 5 years, the Mahidol Vivax Research Unit (MVRU) will advance understanding of P. vivax transmission and innovate solutions to combat malaria. Our efforts will focus on uncovering transmission mechanisms, developing vaccines, creating evidence-based interventions, and enhancing diagnostic tools. We will also address key gaps in P. vivax biology, such as parasite dormancy and relapse. Through these initiatives, MVRU aims to lead global efforts in eliminating P. vivax malaria and shaping effective health policies.