معرفی
Professor Elizabeth Ashley is a UK-trained physician and Professor of Tropical Medicine at the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Medicine. She serves as Director of the Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit (LOMWRU) in Lao PDR since 2019, leading infectious disease research across Southeast Asia. Previously, she directed clinical research at the Myanmar Oxford Clinical Research Unit (2016-2019) and led the Tracking Resistance to Artemisinin Collaboration (TRAC) from 2011-2013, which mapped global artemisinin resistance in malaria.
Her educational background includes a medical degree from the UK and a PhD in chemotherapeutic studies of multidrug resistant malaria from the Open University, completed during her tenure at the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (2000-2006).
Ashley's research spans malaria, tropical diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and bacteriology in resource-limited settings. She focuses on drug resistance mechanisms, treatment optimization, and infectious disease surveillance in the Greater Mekong Subregion, with particular emphasis on Laos. Her work integrates clinical trials, pathogen genomics, and epidemiological modeling to address neglected tropical diseases.
Recent publications reveal a strong focus on Burkholderia pseudomallei (melioidosis) evolution during treatment and geographical spread in livestock, alongside advocacy for sustainable global AMR surveillance frameworks. This reflects her commitment to translating laboratory findings into public health interventions for tropical infections.
She holds prominent editorial roles including:
- Associate Editor for Malaria Journal
- Member of the PLOS Medicine Editorial Board
- International Scientific Advisory Board for The Lancet Infectious Diseases
As LOMWRU Director, Ashley oversees a multidisciplinary team conducting field and laboratory research in collaboration with Mahosot Hospital in Vientiane. The unit operates within the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) network, maintaining active partnerships across Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam to combat infectious diseases in the region.
