On 8 August 2023, NSTDA and the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) held a press conference to introduce six distinguished researchers who have been honored with the High-Potential Research Team Grants for the years 2022 and 2023. Present at the press conference were NRCT Deputy Executive Director Mr. Sompratana Suktawee and NSTDA President Prof. Dr. Sukit Limpijumnong, along with guests of honor, including Prof. Dr. Yongyuth Yuthavong and Prof. Dr. Soottiporn Chittmittrapap.
The High-potential Research Team Grant Program is a joint initiative of NSTDA and NRCT. The objectives of the program are to develop human resources and foster research and innovation capability focusing on the areas that will make significant socio-economic impacts. Each grant is worth a maximum of THB 15 million for a 3-year period. The grant also comes with integrated support ranging from the S&T infrastructure such as NSTDA Supercomputer Center, the National Omics Center, the National Biobank of Thailand and pilot plants, to business and IP assistance programs such as business incubator, IP application service and technology licensing management.
Recipients to the 2023 High-Potential Research Team Grants include:
Prof. Em. Dr. Kovit Pattanapanyasat from Mahidol University. His project titled “Engineering of exosomes for precise targeting drug delivery for neuronal and cardiovascular diseases” aims to investigate the roles of extracellular vesicles to develop treatment for cardiovascular disease, ischemic stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Prof. Dr. David John Ruffolo from Mahidol University. His project titled “Space radiation science and technology” aims to integrate the development of technology with the development of new knowledge about plasma phenomena and magnetic fluctuations in space, which control the transport of space radiation, contributing to the warning of space weather effects.
Dr. Kallaya Sritunyalucksana-Dangtip from BIOTEC-NSTDA. Her project titled “Exploitation of the viral accommodation mechanism to control viral diseases in shrimp” aims to harness circular vcDNA (cvcDNA) for shrimp vaccination and identify endogenous viral elements (EVEs) in the shrimp genome to improve viral tolerance in shrimp breeding stocks.
Recipients to the 2023 High-Potential Research Team Grants are:
Prof. Dr. Banjerd Singkaneti from the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA). His project titled “Empowering community resilience on basis of Thai Democratic Regime by social innovation” aims to empower the civil society network movement and strengthen people’s participation through public space, thus building community resilience and sustainability which serve as a foundation for Thai Democratic Regime.
Prof. Visith Thongboonkerd, M.D. from Mahidol University. His project titled “Extensive identification and characterizations of urinary proteins that modulate (inhibit or promote) calcium oxalate kidney stone formation” aims to identify and characterize urinary proteins that inhibit or promote CaOx kidney stone formation in the normal urine and CaOx stone patients’ urine, respectively, using recent advances in proteomics technologies together with other biotechniques and various functional assays. Such findings will be instrumental for future clinical use in diagnostics, prognostics and prevention.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kornsorn Srikulnath from Kasetsart University. His project titled “Enhanced breeding potential of catfish group (bighead catfish, North African catfish and hybrid catfish) aims to employ integrative genomic techniques to dissect the genetic makeup of complex production traits and enhance the breeding potential of bighead catfish to drive Thailand’s catfish industry.