{"id":46567,"date":"2025-04-18T15:57:48","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T08:57:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oucru.org\/?p=46567"},"modified":"2025-05-07T17:25:36","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T10:25:36","slug":"dr-thitinan-building-better-vaccines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.oucru.org\/index.php\/2025\/04\/18\/dr-thitinan-building-better-vaccines\/","title":{"rendered":"Building better vaccines: Dr\u00c2\u00a0Thitinan Kitisin\u00c2\u00a0explores tonsil organoids models in Thailand\u00c2\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n
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Assistant Professor Thitinan Kitisin at Mahidol University and member of the first MODRA cohort. (Photo: OUCRU, 2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At Mahidol University\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Faculty of Tropical Medicine<\/a>, Assistant Professor Dr Thitinan Kitisin<\/a> had already built a solid academic track record, focusing on how the human immune system responds to Plasmodium vivax<\/em>, the most common malaria parasite in Thailand. He had the technical expertise, a growing list of publications, and the teaching responsibilities. But when it came to leading large-scale research or securing international funding, he admits, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even know where to begin.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153As a scientist trained entirely in Thailand, I was comfortable in the lab, but hesitant to step into the global research arena,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he says. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153International grants felt out of reach. I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t sure I had the right experience, the right network, or even the right language.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

That mindset began to shift when Dr\u00c2\u00a0Thitinan\u00c2\u00a0joined the MORU-OUCRU Discovery Research Academy (MODRA)<\/a> in 2024, a programme designed to support early-career researchers across Asia with mentorship, training, and seed funding.<\/p>\n

Building a New Research Platform<\/h3>\n

With support from MODRA\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s seed award, Dr\u00c2\u00a0Thitinan\u00c2\u00a0is working to establish an in vitro<\/em> tonsil organoid model, a lab-grown system that mimics human immune responses using real tonsil tissue.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Most vaccine development still relies on animal models,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he explains. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But those don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t always translate to humans. The organoid platform allows us to model human adaptive immunity directly, which is a game-changer.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

MODRA\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s seed funding gave him both the confidence and the early data needed to pursue something much bigger. He reached out to Dr Lisa Wagar<\/a> at the University of California, Irvine<\/a>, a pioneer in the field. Together, they applied for and secured a major U.S.\u00e2\u20ac\u201cJapan Collaborative Medical Sciences Award (2024\u00e2\u20ac\u201c2026)<\/a>, with Dr\u00c2\u00a0Thitinan\u00c2\u00a0serving as the principal investigator from Thailand.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is not just about one disease,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he notes. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The platform can be adapted to study other infections, immune-modulating drugs, and even therapeutic antibodies. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re opening a new door for translational immunology.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

With this model, Dr\u00c2\u00a0Thitinan\u00c2\u00a0hopes to improve the success rate of vaccine development, reduce dependence on animal models, and accelerate the design of effective immunisations for diseases impacting communities across Asia and beyond.<\/p>\n

Passing on the Skills Science Degrees Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Teach<\/h3>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Dr Thitinan presenting his research pitch for the MODRA seed award during Workshop 2 in Vietnam. (Photo: OUCRU, 2024)\u00c2\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But Dr Thitinan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s transformation doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t end with research outputs. MODRA helped him see that leadership in science also means teaching others to lead. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I want my students to learn earlier than I did, how to write proposals, manage a budget, and pitch their ideas clearly.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

He now incorporates leadership and research management into his teaching at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology,\u00c2\u00a0Mahidol University,<\/a> Thailand. His students practise elevator pitches, design one-page proposals, and run capstone-projects with real deadlines and deliverables. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153These are skills I had to learn the hard way,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he reflects. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But my students don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

He believes this kind of training should be standard. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Science education often ends at the method section. But real research needs strategy, communication, and collaboration. MODRA gave me that, and now I want to pass it on.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

When asked what advice he would give early-career scientists, Dr\u00c2\u00a0Thitinan\u00c2\u00a0doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hesitate: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be afraid. Dream big and go for it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

He encourages others to apply to MODRA, not just for the funding, but for the mindset shift. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153MODRA teaches you how to think differently, not just as a researcher, but as a leader. It connects you with mentors and collaborators who will challenge you to grow.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

He smiles, reflecting on how far he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s come. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153A few years ago, I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t sure I could lead a project like this. Now, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m training others to lead their own. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the power of mindset, and of a programme like MODRA.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

About MODRA<\/h3>\n

The MORU\u00e2\u20ac\u201cOUCRU Discovery Research Academy (MODRA)<\/a> is a fully funded 18-month programme designed to empower early-career postdocs scientists in Asia with the skills, mentorship, and funding needed to become independent researchers.<\/p>\n

Participants receive:<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u00a3 Hands-on workshops on grant writing, budgeting, research design and project management.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a3 Ongoing mentorship from regional and global research leaders.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a3 Seed funding of up to $30,000 to launch preliminary research.<\/p>\n

This programme is a joint initiative by the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU)<\/a> and the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU)<\/a>, both leading centres in global health research. MODRA is funded by Wellcome Trust<\/a> and affiliated with the Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health <\/a>at the University of Oxford,<\/a> ensuring world-class standards in training and mentorship.<\/p>\n

If you’re ready to step into leadership and drive meaningful impact in global health, apply today<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Years of groundwork have led Assistant Professor Dr Thitinan Kitisin to his first major step: leading an advanced vaccine research project in Thailand. With support from MODRA, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s now developing one of the first tonsil organoid models in the country, a small but important step toward improving how vaccines are tested. Along the way, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also passing on practical research skills to the next generation of Thai scientists. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":46568,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,144],"tags":[698,29],"class_list":["post-46567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-ho-chi-minh","tag-modra","tag-training"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.oucru.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.oucru.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.oucru.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.oucru.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.oucru.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46567"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/test.oucru.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46567\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46845,"href":"https:\/\/test.oucru.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46567\/revisions\/46845"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.oucru.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.oucru.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.oucru.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.oucru.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}