Wanicha Chuenkongkaew

Professor of Ophthalmology, Mahidol University Vice President for Education, Mahidol University

Professor Wanicha Chuenkongkaew qualified in Medicine in 1986. After residency at Mahidol University studying in Ophthalmology, she completed a fellowship in Neuro-ophthalmology at University of Michigan Medical Center, USA.  In 1995, Dr.Wanicha started research exploring the relationship between optic neuropathy and the mitochondrial genotype by running clinical trials focusing on hereditary optic nerve diseases. She was appointed as Professor of Ophthalmology at Mahidol University in 2005 and is internationally recognized in her field and widely published.

Dr.Wanicha is currently Vice President for Education, Mahidol University, a co-ordinator in organizing the annual Prince Mahidol Award International Conference (PMAC) since 2007 aiming at being a global policy forum to discuss and recommend policies and social commitments towards public health development and improvement. Dr.Wanicha has actively participated in medical education in Thailand for many years and been working as a secretary on the commission for strategic movement on the development of Health Workforce Education in the 21st century and recently been engaged by extensively running on the global and regional movement towards Health Professional Education Reform as a principal regional coordinator of Asia-Pacific Network for Health Professional Education Reform (ANHER) since 2011 and a member of Technical Working Group on Health Workforce Education Assessment Tools, World Health Organization as well as TWG 2: Transformative education, Global Health Workforce Alliance.

Recent publications

1. Phasukkijwatana N, Kunhapan B, Stankovich J, Chuenkongkaew WL, Thomson R, Thornton T, Bahlo M, Mushiroda T, Nakamura Y, Mahasirimongkol S, Tun AW, Srisawat C, Limwongse C, Peerapittayamongkol C, Sura T, Suthammarak W, Lertrit P. Genome-wide linkage scan and association study of PARL to the expression of LHON families in Thailand. Hum Genet 2010; 128(1): 39-49.
2. Kaewsutthi S, Phasukkijwatana N, Joyjinda Y, Chuenkongkaew W, Kunhapan B, Tun AW, Suktitipat B, Lertrit P. Mitochondrial Haplogroup Background May Influence Southeast Asian G11778A Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy.  Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011; 52(7): 4742-8.
3. Leeamornsir S, Chirapapaisan N, Chuenkongkaew W. Clinical profiles of thai patients with ocular myasthenia gravis in Siriraj Hospital. J Med Assoc Thai 2011; 94 (9): 1117-21.
4. Jariyakosol K, Luechapudiporn R, Phisalaphong C, Wichyanuwat P, Thamlikitkul V, Chuenkongkaew W. Effects of curcuminoids extracts capsule on antioxidant enzymes in leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy. J Health Res 2011; 25(3): 105-10.
5. Chuenkongkaew W. Optic neuropathy Beyond Blind.  Neuro-ophthalmol Jpn 2012. 29(2): 237-42.
6. Profiling the Mitochondrial Proteome of Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) in Thailand: down-regulation of Bioenergetics and Mitochondrial Protein Quality Control Pathways in Fibroblasts with 11778G>A Mutation. PLOS ONE 2014. (In press).