Thai Public Health Delegation Pays a Call on NIH
In fiscal year 2022, NIH funded nearly 90 U.S. research awards that included collaborations with Thai organizations, making Thailand one of the top countries in the world for joint activities as part of NIH-funded research projects.
A delegation from Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) visited NIH’s Bethesda campus on Apr. 20.
Dr. James Heffelfinger, Thailand country director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and CDC Deputy Country Director Todd Mercer accompanied the delegation led by Dr. Pongkasem Khaimook, Thai deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Health.
Dr. Christine Sizemore, director of the Division of International Relations at the Fogarty International Center, presented an overview of NIH and its engagements in Thailand. NHGRI Director Dr. Eric Green joined virtually while NHGRI staff presented in person on the clinical implementation of genomics data into health systems.
NIAID Vaccine Research Center Acting Director Dr. Richard Koup and several of his staff discussed vaccine development as part of pandemic preparedness with the guests who included members of Thailand’s MoPH, National Vaccine Institute and National Institute of Health. The Thai delegation in turn shared an update on their TB vaccine research project.
Dr. Lawrence Tabak, acting NIH director, also joined the meeting briefly to greet the delegation.
A separate Thai delegation led by H.R.H. Princess Dr. Chulabhorn Mahidol of Thailand visited the Frederick campus of the NCI Center for Cancer Research the next day. —Judith Coan-Stevens