Category: Research and Innovation

Changes in contemporary society and families have had immense impacts on lifestyles, adjustments, and mental health. Particularly, medical students could have accumulated stress from study, unachieved academic performance, and other problems or factors, including   family, social, personal, and economic issues. These could also include interpersonal issues, which affects mental health of students and in turn reflects on their academic achievement.

Recent statistical data shows mental health problems among medical students are increasing. The number of medical students who received mental health therapy in 2018 and 2019 increased by 1.57 and 1.92 times over 2017, respectively. The Division of Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University is therefore initiating the MedMind KKU project to address the mental health problems of students in the faculty via early detection and early management.

Project objectives

1. To provide counseling assistance for mental health problems and self-management for students in the faculty.
2. To strengthen knowledge about mental health for students and relevant personnel (adviser, administrative personnel).

Service Model

1. Individual counselling and therapy by psychiatrists and psychologists for students with mental health difficulties and academic pressure.
2. Counselling in partnership with family for students with complicated problems or repeated academic hardships.
3. Integration with teaching and learning processes by opening new course “Life management” for medical and other students.
4. Networking and engagement with students—e.g., encouraging medical students to participate in early detection and submitting articles to share their life experiences.
5. Development of e-leaning course “counselling” for instructors.   

Access to services

Students will be able to directly contact the staff of MedMind KKU. In addition, the service can be provided for students on recommendation and referral by advisers; and by proactive search based on academic performance of medical students.

Khon Kaen University doctor proposes the research work from which the Government authorizes reduction of medical expense for patients with cerebral aneurism. Patients can now have more access to treatment. Cases of disabilities from the disease or death will decrease.

Cerebral aneurysm is the disease that urges the patient to visit the doctor when they have cerebral hemorrhage, which is a condition requiring immediate treatment, for the hemorrhage risks recurring that can lead to death or disability. Treatment may involves operation for clipping the aneurism or coiling, depending on each patient’s lesion. Nowadays, treatment can be done by placing spring coils, which result in good outcome and leave a small cut, as well as more possibility to be done in difficult area; however, with relatively higher expense.

Up to now, the patients having the gold health security card in Thailand cannot be reimbursed for the treatment of this disease. Therefore, these patients do not have access to treatment by spring coiling owing to limitations in terms of budget. This means the operation has to be done by skull opening, which may not be effective as expected. Moreover, this kind of operation risks disability and death.

Srinagarind Hospital of Khon Kaen University, by the Center of Excellence for Cerebral Aneurysm has produced research work on the worthiness of treatment with coiling for this disease. The project has been supported by the Health System Research Institute (HSRI). The researchers collected retrospective data from the patients in Thailand for over 10 years and the data of Srinagarind Hospital patients for over 5 years. The qualitative research analyses were conducted and the result showed that the treatment of the disease with coiling is worthwhile and can reduce the rates of disability and death.

Doctor Pitchayen Duangthongphon, a neurological expert of Srinagarind Hospital related, “The research team of the study project on the worthiness of treatment with coiling for this disease analyzed the data before Assoc. Prof. Amnat Kitkhuandee, M.D. presented the result at the National Health Security Office that the study verifies the worthiness of the treatment with this method. NHSO thus approved the project and now authorizes the patients holding the gold health security card to receive medical treatment fee for operation with coiling as of October 1, 2021. NHSO’s announcement says that the coiling can be reimbursed at an amount of more than 10,000 baht per coil. One patient needs 4 coils and so the reimbursement amounts to over 50,000 baht. Formerly, patients holding this card could not be reimbursed and had to pay over 100,000 baht for the overall treatment.”

Assoc. Prof. Amnat Kitkhuandee, M.D., an expert in neurological surgery of Srinagarind Hospital said, “Srinagarind Hospital established the Center of Excellence for Cerebral Aneurysm with an aim to bring the utmost benefit to the people, for each year there are more than 100 cases of patients with this disease coming to Srinagarind Hospital, who need to be operated on. Only 10% of these patients can receive treatment by coiling, for the surgery expense is roughly 100,000 baht. This is a problem if the patient cannot afford it, and it means some patients do not have access to medical treatment. This limitation was the rationale behind the research project, and the outcome shows the worthiness of the treatment of this disease by the coiling method, especially when thinking in terms of the disability or death the disease may cause. One part of this research has been accepted for publication in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery, which has the Q1 Impact factor of 5.836.”

Therefore, patients holding the gold health security card can from October 1 this year be reimbursed for the operation with coiling. The research on the worthiness of cerebral aneurysm treatment with coiling is truly useful for patients who have constraint in health coverage. Thanks to the National Neurological Surgery College under the Royal Patronage for the support of the project.

Support content : https://www.kku.ac.th/12067

Thailand Scientist and University Rankings 2021 by AD Scientific Index show 2 MD-KKU scientists are among the Top 25 in Thailand;

1. Professor Banchob SRIPA, PhD, ranked 15^th
2. Professor Paiboon SITHITHAWORN, PhD, ranked 25

These rankings are based on the work 2,306 scientists from 135 institutions in Thailand.

https://www.adscientificindex.com/?country_code=th&fbclid=IwAR0HkIyzbXikneIRczfqhvYIiygJQUdt1kUqI9OoumhHj34ry3LJ4CdeIk0

Biography

Professor Banchob Sripa

WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Control of Opisthorchiasis (Southeast Asian Liver Fluke Disease) – Tropical Disease Research Center, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand. Tel: +66-43-363113, E-mail: banchob@kku.ac.th

Professor Banchob Sripa is a Senior Research Scholar, the Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Control of Opisthorchiasis (Southeast Asian Liver Fluke Disease), and Director of the Tropical Disease Research Center, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. Currently, Dr.Sripa is a panel member of the WHO Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG2). He got a highest doctoral degree in Tropical Health from the University of Queensland (Australia) and experienced several post-graduate trainings in pathology and global health.  He has been working as lecturer both undergraduate and graduate study for >30 years with over 50 MSc and PhD under his supervision. His research focus is mainly on human liver fluke in several aspects including its related cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), the bile duct cancer as well as other tropical diseases. Dr.Sripa is a world expert in pathology, pathogenesis and control of liver fluke infection and CCA. His integrated liver fluke control program named “Lawa model” is one of the two showcases with success helminth control of WHO/NZD4 (2015).  Dr. Sripa has >260 research articles, viewpoints, editorials and reviews in peer reviewed international journals and book chapters recently in Nature Genetics, Lancet Oncology, Lancet Infectious Diseases, Trends Parasitology, Cancer Science, Hepatology, Proteomics, PLOS Pathogens, Scientific Reports, Advances in Parasitology and elsewhere with high citation index, h = 50.  He was ranked as world expert in cholangiocarcinoma (2019), Helminths (2019) and Opisthorchiasis (2019-2021) by ExpertScape and among world top 2% scientists in Mycology and Parasitology by Stanford University (2020). He sits on the Deputy Editor of PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Associate Editor of Tropical Medicine & International Health, and editorial boards of Infectious Diseases of Poverty (BMC Journal), Acta Tropica (Elsevier), J. Helminthology (Cambridge) and Tropical BioMedicine.  He is a Chief Guest Editor/Volume editor for 5 Special Issues on liver flukes in Acta Tropica (2003), Parasitology International (2012), Parasitology International (2017), Advances in Parasitology (2018), and Acta Tropica (2021). He has received several scientific research awards, the most prestige the Thailand Outstanding Scientist Award from the Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Technology under the Patronage of H.M. the King – the King Award (2013) and the Thailand Research Fund Senior Research Scholar (2013).  Dr.Sripa is a former panel member of the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) panel of experts for biological agents of cancer, Disease Reference Group on Helminths (DRG), Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG1), WHO advisers, and ex- President of the Regional Network of Asian Schistosomiasis and Other Helminth Zoonoses (RNAS+).

Professor Dr. Banchob Sripa, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, invited panel member of WHO’s Disease Reference Group on Helminths and the first Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group.

Professor Sripa is a KKU Senior Research Fellow, and a Director of Tropical Disease Research Center and Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Control of Opisthorchiasis (Southeast Asian Liver Fluke Disease), KKU.

Professor Banchob previously served as a panel member on the WHO’s Disease Reference Group on Helminths (DRG), Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG), and is a WHO adviser.

He is the former President of the Regional Network of Asian Schistosomiasis and Other Helminth Zoonoses (RNAS+).

Over 30 years, his major research focus has been on biology, immunology, host-parasite interaction, pathogenesis of opisthorchiasis and bile duct cancer, and strong emphasis on control and elimination of human liver flukes across Asia. His integrated liver fluke control program named “Lawa model” is one of two WHO showcase models with success in helminth control (WHO/NZD4).

Professor Sripa has published more than 250 research articles, viewpoints, editorials and reviews in peer reviewed international journals and book chapters (h-index=50). He is Deputy Editor of PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Associate Editor of Tropical Medicine & International Health, and is an editorial board member for several tropical disease journals. Over 36-year as academician, he has received several scientific research awards, the most prestigious the Thailand Outstanding Scientist Award (the King’s Award) and the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) Senior Research Scholar

Professor Sripa has received local and international research funding and is a pioneer in the in-depth study of the pathogenesis of liver fluke and bile duct cancer, leading to a better understanding of this disease   and methods for its prevention and control.   He also has published on Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma in leading journals in the Scopus Database and has received several major research awards, including a Thailand Outstanding Scientist Award, (pathology category 2013) and the TRF Senior Research Master of the year 2013 and one of the highest honors of Khon Kaen University, the Sarasin Researcher Honor Award in 2012.

Professor Sripa is internationally recognized as a specialist in liver fluke and bile duct cancer and has been invited as an international guest speaker more than 20 times and received the highest honor as a speaker at the International Congress of Parasitology (ICOPA 2010) as “International Cancer Organization (IARC) specialist”.

His international work, especially with the World Health Organization has made it possible to successfully promote liver fluke disease onto the World Health Organization’s List of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)

Written by Yada Lertkhajornsak

Edited by John Smith

March 4, 2021, at the Conference Room of Nongkungsri District Public Health Office – the Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, led by Prof. Dr. Narong Khanteekaew, M.D., Director of the Institute and his team joined the meeting to determine the approaches for eradicating liver fluke and cholangiocarcinoma at Nongkungsri District, Kalasin. Mr. Somdee Khottasaeng, Public Health Officer of Nongkungsri District presided over the meeting.

The meeting agendum included the finding of approaches for participatory and integrated implementation to solve the problems of liver fluke disease and cholangiocarcinoma in Nongkungsri District. This Nongkungsri Model is a collaboration between KKU and the Quality of Life Development Committee of the District. Over 20 people attended the meeting. The common goals were to reduce the number of patients with liver fluke disease and screen the patients with the diseases so that they receive treatment as soon as possible. The project will be in operation in the area for 3 years.

Prof. Dr. Narong Khanteekaew, M.D., Director of the Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute said, “The Institute has been working on solving the problems related to liver fluke disease and cholangiocarcinoma in an integrated style. The project is called “The District Model”. Our attempts are to decrease the cases of liver fluke infection by campaigning and building awareness all over the area as well as to screen the risk group by means of ultrasound so that the first-stage patients can receive operation, which, in turn, will increase the rate of survival. The operation can be conducted at the area. Nongkungsri District is one among the model areas. The Institute has been allocated an amount of budget from the National Research Council and has been cooperating with the members of the Population Health Area 7 and the network organizations. The results of the research studies for solving the problems of liver fluke disease and cholangiocarcinoma have been applied in this regard, with participation of the people in the locality. The implementation also responds to Khon Kaen University’s ideal in being a university with dedication to assist the society, solve the social problems and upgrade the quality of life of the people in Isan region. When the quality of life is improved, the mortality rate from cholangiocarcinoma is expected to be minimized.

Eradication of liver fluke disease and cholangiocarcinoma cannot be done by the state alone, but requires collaboration from the network and relevant sectors to help solve the problems. Implementation at hospitals or by the health professionals is not sufficient to do away with the problems. All sectors concerned must solve the problem together, from the upstream toward the downstream levels. The spread of the disease must be decreased from water sources. The liver fluke must be eradicated from the reservoir animals, by provision of safe foods, increasing intellectual immunity among the youth, managing health information systematically so that information is traceable, screening and giving medical treatment from the start in order to increase access to medical care and to increase the quality of life of the patients, all of which will sustainably reduce socio-economic losses of the country.

Support content : https://kku.ac.th/10060

The Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, National Research Council of Thailand and Khon Kaen Municipality Department of Public Health, have come together to promote the Fluke Free Thailand project.

The Fluke Free Thailand Project originated in the Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, the Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, under the Directorship of Associate Professor Narong Khuntikeo, Department of Surgery. Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center is now working with the National Research Council of Thailand, a government associate agency as well as a private agency to initiate a campaign promoting the prevention and eradication of Liver Fluke Disease in Ban Had Khon Kaen province. Dr. Somchaichote Piyawatchwela, Director of Khon Kaen Municipality Department of Public Health, chaired the event and Mr. Tawitch Pimpa, Chief District Officer of Ban Had, gave the opening speech. At the event they displayed many inventions related to the prevention and eradication of Liver Fluke Disease and also offered free liver fluke disease screening. Participants could also register themselves in the Isan Cohort data system to help track progress in curing Cholangiocarcinoma.

The cooperation between KKU Faculty of Medicine’s Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center and National Research Council of Thailand has already achieved much, 1) liver fluke Infection rate has drop from 42.8% to 7.7%, 2) Increase in access to treatment from 21.8% to 84.5%, 3) Increased survival rate for people with Cholangiocarcinoma in the past 5 years from 17.3% to 48.3%. The Liver Fluke Free Thailand is an excellent example of a project that truly benefits the people and it’s also shows that cooperation between people and the government can achieve great things.

Two  Professors from the Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, had recently received support funds from the National Research Council of Thailand.

Congratulations to Dr. Jutarop Phetcharaburanin, Department of Biochemistry, and Assistant Professor Sarinya Kongpetch, Department of Pharmacology, for their  Outstanding Young Researcher Supporting Grants from the National Research Council of Thailand. The Outstanding Young Researcher Supporting Grant is a joint project between the Ministry of Education and National Research Council of Thailand to support new generation researchers  to enhance   their research and future careers.   This will help boost  high quality research  and overall education  in Thailand.

Written by: Natakon Naowarojna

International Relations Office, Research and International Relations Affairs

Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University

Assistant Professor Kulthida Vaeteewoottacharn, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, has been named a visiting professor at Kumamoto University, one of the top universities in Japan.

The designation of visiting professor has been approved by Professor Shinji Harada, President of Kumamoto University and is effective from 1 October 2020 to 31 March 2022. Assistant Professor Kulthida Vaeteewoottacharn is also invited to present her research in the Graduate School of Medical Sciences Seminar Series, Kumamoto University. This appointment is an honor for Assistant Professor Kulthida Vaeteewoottacharn and the Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University.

Written by: Natakon Naowarojna

On September 2, 2020, Professor Anek Laothamatas, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, was present as chairman in the Demo Data and Awarding Ceremony of Life Sci. Level Up Challenge 2020 Project. The project was held by Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Science, and Srinakharinwirot University to support and nurture new start up life science business. In this occasion Associate Professor Supinda Koonmee affiliated at Department of Pathology, the Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, had led a team, namely, “Save Earth, Save Us” to show off a new personal protective equipment (PPE) suit that was invented amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The newly invented PPE suit costs around 700 bath and can be washable and reusable up to 20 times compared to other single-disposal PPE suits that cost around 500 – 700 bath. This newly synthesized fiber can also be converted in other medical equipment i.e. bed sheet, surgery suit and other industrial equipment. With aforementioned product and a well-thought business plan, the team Save Earth, Save Us finally took home 1^st place from the competition. Professor Anek also praised them that “This type of innovation is important for the stability of a country”. He added “If a country cannot come up with new invention of their own, they can face various challenge and affect the country growth as well”.

Life Sci. Level Up Challenge 2020 Project is a project to prepare new entrepreneur of life science business to enter the industrial following 20-year national strategic plan. This also doubles as preparation for them to enter international market with readiness.