MD-KKU delegation attends workshop on Universal Newborn Hearing Screening in Australia

 

A MD-KKU delegation recently attended a workshop on Universal Newborn Hearing Screening in Sydney, Australia with delegations from the National Health Security Office (NHSO), Chulalongkorn University, and the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University. The workshop ran between July 18 and 21, 2023.

The MD-KKU delegation was led by Assoc. Prof. Wimorat Sriraj, MD, Associate Dean for Research and International Relations Affairs together with Prof. Kwanchanok Yimtae, MD, Director of Academic Clinical Research Office (ACRO), Assoc. Prof. Pakaphan Kiatchoosakun, MD, Head of Pediatrics Department, and Dr. Nichtima Chayaopas, Department of Otorhinolaryngology. They also visited Macquarie University and the Shepherd Centre.

 

A workshop on Universal Newborn Hearing Screening hosted by Australian Hearing Hub (AHH)

 

 

The workshop on Universal Newborn Hearing Screening was hosted by the Australian Hearing Hub (AHH) with many speakers sharing their experiences. Lecture sessions covered AHH background and its collaboration with private and public sectors to develop newborn hearing screening systems for better access to effective treatment and family support systems to optimize the daily lives of children with hearing loss.  In group discussions, delegates discussed progress, obstacles, and possible solutions for newborn hearing problems in Thailand, and brainstormed approaches to solve problems, provide medical services, and increase human capital especially audiologists.

 

Lecture Session

 

Group Discussion Session

 

 

The MD-KKU delegation also visited Macquarie University in Sydney, a leader in developing private-public collaborations in education, research, and medical service. The delegation also met the chief executive of the Macquarie University to discuss strategies and collaborations at national and international levels to support children with hearing loss.

 

MD-KKU delegation visits Macquarie University and meets the chief executive.

 

 

The delegation also visited the Shepherd Centre in Sydney. For more than 50 years, the Centre has cared for children with hearing loss and their families. It is supported by private and public sectors as well as donors for facilities and activities like developmental surveillance, hearing aids, auditory skill and language practices, preparation for the real world, counseling, and health care delivery.

 

A visit to the Shepherd Centre

 

The workshop on Universal Newborn Hearing Screening was beneficial for KKU to improve its capacity for treatment of children with hearing loss. Improvements in rapid screening, language and communication development, and social skills enhancement should empower children to have productive and fulfilled lives.

 

Reporting by Sathaphorn Onlamun

Editing by Prof. John F Smith

MD-KKU welcomes visiting professor from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, USA

 

On September 4, 2023, Assoc. Prof. Wimorat Sriraj, MD, Associate Dean for Research and International Relations Affairs together with Assist. Prof. Jutarop Phetcharaburanin, Assistant Dean for Research and International Relations Affairs welcomed Professor Elizabeth Jane Phillips from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, USA to our faculty.

Professor Phillips is a Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology. She focusses on the immunopathogenesis of severe adverse drug reactions and using innovative technologies to define genetic, molecular and cellular signatures.

She participated in the MD-KKU overseas visiting professor program in our Pharmacology Department between August 31 and September 10, 2023. Her visit’s objectives were to supervise and discuss pharmacogenetic testing in clinical practice at Pharmacogenetic Analysis Unit, attend the pre-congress on “Pharmacogenetics and Its Applications in Clinical Practice,” deliver a lecture “Updates on Immunopathology and Genomics of Severe Cutaneous Adverse Drug Reactions,” discuss research collaboration development with pharmacology staff, attend a special seminar related to research specialization, and supervise manuscript writing for our pharmacogenetic researchers.

The Department’s staff led by Assoc. Prof. Laddawan Sengkanprai also attended the meeting to discuss pharmacogenetic research collaboration, clinical skills development projects, and future collaborative activities between our two institutions. This visit can help MD-KKU implement pharmacogenetics for optimal drug therapy particularly in disease-risk prediction, decisions on drug dosages, drug-disease interaction management, and minimizing adverse drug reactions in patients.

 

Reporting by Sathaphorn Onlamun

Editing by Prof. John F Smith

International Recognition for MD-KKU Academic

 

Assistant Professor Rit Apinyankul, MD, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University was recently an invited speaker at the 2023 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting held in Las Vegas, USA between March 7-11, 2023.

He spoke on  “Complications, Implant Survivorships and Functional Outcomes of Conversion Total Knee Arthroplasty With Prior Hardware”

 

 

His co-authors were Alexander Y. Hui, MD, PhD; Katherine Hwang, MPH; Nicole Alexandriadria Segovia, MS; Derek F. Amanatullah, MD, PhD; James I. Huddleston, MD; William J. Maloney, MD; and, Stuart B. Goodman, MD, PhD, from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University Medical Center Outpatient Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.

Dr. Rit is a key innovator for quality of life research for knee and hip arthroplasty patients at Srinagarind Hospital.

During his research fellowship at Stanford University two years ago (2021), he was involved in arthroplasty technology development with the innovative research team there.

Besides academic, clinical services, research and innovation work at MD-KKU, Dr.  Rit also on the executive administrative team as Assistant to the Dean for Administration.

 

 

Detailed disclosure information is available via:

AAOS Orthopaedic Disclosure Program: www.aaos.org/disclosure

Published on The Journal of Arthroplasty 2023 Elsevier

News Reported by Professor John F. Smith and Duangsamorn Chankwang, International Relations Office, MD-KKU

International medical exchange students complete their program: August 2023 program

 

On August 18, 2023, we congratulated medical exchange students from Cambodia, Austria, France, Poland, Portugal, and Greece on completion of their exchange program with us. The program ran during August 2023.

On their graduation day, all made end-of-program presentations to share their elective experiences. During their presentations, all reported being impressed with their KKU experience including the environment, culture, friends and staff, and learning facilities.

They were really amazed with our KKU environment such as fresh air and physical structure. “I had a very amazing time here and I like KKU structure and environment so much,” said a Cambodian student. “KKU has so great and fresh environment that I can enjoy it so much,” he added.

They felt the KKU medical school and hospital were very positive learning environments. “The Faculty was amazing because it had everything inside the campus such as a big hospital, great education system, and good environment,” said a French student.

On the MD-KKU campus, they could easily explore a variety of clean food and many coffee houses. “The food was so good and hygiene,” said a Cambodian student. They were absolutely excited all the time when enjoying Thai food in our cafeteria. “Thai food in Hospital canteen is out of this world,” said a Polish student. 

They had a very great time not only outside but also inside the classroom. They met really good Thai friends and faculty staff taking care of them throughout the program. “Students and staff here were polite, cheerful, kind, and helpful,” said an Austrian student. Their friends and teachers were very helpful because their English was proficient, so communication in the class was so effective. “My Thai friends and teachers spoke English with me during my training, and they can translate many things about consultations on surgery cases,” said a French student. 

Our systematic learning management facilitated them to receive so many medical experiences. “I can see and learn from a lot of cases in the Srinagarind Hospital,” said an Austrian student. “I really like the work flow here because I saw that the department was divided into sub clinics which were great for the doctors and patients for easier consultation,” a Cambodian student supported.

They gained a lot of impressive experience spending their time in our campus. They also hoped to join us again and want to recommend their friends to be part of KKU once in a lifetime. “I’ll highly recommend to my friends because I had a great experience in KKU, one of the best universities I’ve ever visited,” said a Cambodian student. “For me, one month is very short but it gave me a great memory and I can’t wait to come here to study again in the future,” he added.

On behalf of MD-KKU, we congratulated all of them on their achievement. We were so pleased to be part of their successful time and glad to have them in our faculty in Khon Kaen, Thailand.

 

 

Reporting by Sathaphorn Onlamun

Editing by Prof. John F Smith

KKU welcomes delegation from Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, China

 

On August 21, 2023, Asst. Prof. Acharawan Topark–Ngarm, Assistant to the President for International Affairs together with Assoc. Prof. Apichat Jiravuttipong, Dean of Faculty of Medicine, Assoc. Prof. Ampornpan Theeranut, Dean of Faculty of Nursing, Dr. Chutikan Sakphisutthikul, Associate Dean for Administration and Quality Development, Faculty of Public Health, and Asst. Prof. Kavin Thinkhamrop, Assistant Dean for Research, Academic Service, Innovation and International Affairs, Faculty of Public Health welcomed Prof. Wei Xianggang, PhD, from Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities (YMUN), and Mr. Nuttapong Phanachet, Director of the Thai-Chinese Education Center to our university.

The visit’s objectives were to meet with KKU administrative team to explore academic and research collaboration especially in health science research, and to create an accessible data platform for Chinese students to increase opportunities for study in KKU.  They also discussed future plans for a visit of the President of YMUN to KKU in early 2024 and KKU-YMUN Alumni Center foundation.

KKU and YMUN initiated a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2021 to strengthen relationships and promote collaborative human resource development. This visit was a great opportunity for medical science faculties including Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Nursing, and Faculty of Public Health to develop collaborative research possibilities and other related affairs with YMUN.

 

 

 

Reporting by Sathaphorn Onlamun

Editing by Prof. John F Smith

MD-KKU welcomes visiting professor from Taipei Medical University, Taiwan

 

On August 25, 2023, Assoc. Prof. Apichat Jiravuttipong, MD, Dean of KKU Faculty of Medicine together with Assoc. Prof. Wimorat Sriraj, MD, Associate Dean for Research and International Relations Affairs welcomed Professor Ching–Feng Chiu from Taipei Medical University, Taiwan to our faculty.

Professor Chiu has a strong background in biology, with a particular interest in cancer research. He has dedicated himself to exploring the molecular and metabolic mechanisms involved in the progression of pancreatic cancer through the study of metabolomics and proteomics.

He participated in the MD-KKU overseas visiting professor program in our Biochemistry Department between August 19 and September 1, 2023. His visit’s objectives were to provide a special seminar and lecture for our faculty and students, and to extend collaboration and conduct preliminary research on “Targeting Glutamine Metabolism Pathway for Cholangiocarcinoma Treatment.”

Assoc. Prof. Kulthida Vaeteewoottacharn, MD, Assoc. Prof. Kanlayanee Sawanyawisuth, and Asst. Prof. Charupong Saengboonmee, MD, Department of Biochemistry also attended the meeting to discuss biochemistry research collaboration, clinical skills development projects, and future collaborative activities between the two institutions.

 

 

Reporting by Sathaphorn Onlamun

Editing by Prof. John F Smith

MD-KKU welcomes visiting professor from Sorbonne University, France

 

On August 17, 2023, Assoc. Prof. Apichat Jiravuttipong, MD, Dean of KKU Faculty of Medicine together with Assoc. Prof. Wimorat Sriraj, MD, Associate Dean for Research and International Relations Affairs welcomed Professor Ali Abou–Hassan from Sorbonne University, France to our faculty.

Professor Abou-Hassan has extensive multidisciplinary research experience across microfluidics, colloidal chemistry, and nanoparticle synthesis.

He participated in the MD-KKU overseas visiting professor program in our Biochemistry Department between August 1 and 18, 2023. His visit’s objective was to carry out a collaborative research project on “The Development of Various Magnetic Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: In Vitro Study” with Asst. Prof. Charupong Saengboonmee, MD, Department of Biochemistry, KKU, and Dr. Phoomipat Jungcharoen, Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, KKU. This research project was funded by the Program Management Unit for Human Resources & Institutional Development, Research and Innovation (PMU-B), Thailand.

Assoc. Prof. Kulthida Vaeteewoottacharn, MD, and Assoc. Prof. Kanlayanee Sawanyawisuth, Department of Biochemistry also attended the meeting and reported on their research and discussed a possible collaborative projects between KKU and Sorbonne University.

 

 

 

Reporting by Sathaphorn Onlamun

Editing by Prof. John F Smith

International exchange students enjoy first day in Khon Kaen: August 2023 program

 

On August 7, 2023, we welcomed a diverse group of medical exchange students from Cambodia, Austria, France, Poland, Portugal, and Greece for the August 2023 program.

On their Orientation Day, Associate Professor Wimorat Sriraj, MD, Associate Dean for Research and International Relations Affairs delivered a welcome speech and gave useful information for enjoying life on our campus. Then the International Relations Officers introduced them to the Faculty of Medicine and program and to some essential Thai language.

In the afternoon they attended a campus tour to meet their program supervisors and departments and were introduced to the campus transport system. After that they took city tours of famous attractions of Khon Kaen. They enjoyed visiting Wat Nong Waeng to see a 360-degree panoramic view of Khon Kaen city from the peak, and to visit the elegant architecture of Wat Thung Setthi.

 

 

Reporting by Sathaphorn Onlamun

Editing by Prof. John F Smith

Japanese professor and nursing students from Fujita Health University visit Srinagarind Hospital

 

On August 8, 2023, MD-KKU welcomed a professor and nursing students from Fujita Health University, Japan. They participated in an exchange program at the Faculty of Nursing, KKU between August 6 and 19, 2023.

They met the Director of the Nursing Division of Srinagarind Hospital and were introduced to the hospital nursing service system at Ward 4B. They learned about our Hospital strategies for providing high quality nursing services to meet our customers’ needs.  They were also shown our nursing service program for the development of professional excellence in nurses.

 

 

Reporting by Sathaphorn Onlamun

Editing by Prof. John F Smith

Our July 2023 medical exchange students complete their programs

 

On July 27, 2023, we congratulated medical exchange students from France, Poland, Slovenia, Indonesia, Belgium, Canada, Hungary, Austria, and Japan on completion of their exchange program with us. The program ran during July 2023.

On their graduation day, all exchange students made end-of-program presentations to share their elective experiences. On this occasion Assoc. Prof. Supinda Koonmee, MD and Asst. Prof. Sakkarn Sangkhamanon, MD, Department of Pathology and Prof. John F Smith, English Specialist attended to listen to their presentations.

During their presentations, all reported being impressed with their KKU experience, such as convenient campus facilities, friendly people, useful practical training, and kind faculty staff. Here are some of their shared experiences:

“It’s big university with a lot of sports area, and the Thai students are very kind to us,” said a French student.

“I’m very thankful to all staff, residents and nurses who took their time to explain and teach me,” said a Slovenian student.

“I found very friendly, polite and helpful people that make my exchange program a great experience,” said a Polish student.

“The staff and residents in Srinagarind Hospital are one of the best mentors I’ve ever had throughout my practical training, so I’d like to thank you all for their kindness and constant willingness to respond to all of my questions, and I’m grateful for having the opportunity to learn from them,” said a Slovenian student.

We congratulated all of them on their achievement. We were so pleased to be part of their successful time and glad to have them in our faculty in Khon Kaen, Thailand.