Thailand's Five Top Research Scientists Honoured Wannapa Khaopa

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Nation's five top research scientists honoured Wannapa Khaopa

By Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

Scientists whose research findings benefit industry and the Thai community were named yesterday as recipients of the nation's most prestigious awards in their fields.

Prof Soottawat Benjakul was the only winner of this year's Outstanding Scientist Award for his research into improving the quality of seafood and seafood products, as well as developing postharvest technologies.

Soottawat is the first lecturer at the Prince of Songkla University (PSU) to receive such a national award.

"Since receiving the Young Scientist Award in 2001 when I started to conduct my research on seafood, I have worked to find better ways to help the industry. I never expected my attempts would lead to the Outstanding Scientist Award," he said.

Soottawat's research also covers the processing of seafood byproducts to alleviate environmental pollution. He has authored more than 300 research articles and two book chapters, which have been used internationally. His research has received 600700 citations.

"I really emphasise doing basic research to obtain knowledge first before I carry out applied research. I won't do trial and error. Since I'm also a lecturer who teaches young and new scientists, I will train them to do the same. Thailand lacks basic research," he added.

Readers can view a video interview with Sootttawat on Nationmultimedia.com

The Young Scientist Awards went to four scientists, aged below 35, whose research has been recognised internationally.

Assist Prof Dr Pithi Chanvorachote from Chulalongkorn University (CU) was honoured for his research into cancer, and the search for a drug that can better combat the disease.

He has conducted several research projects on cancer chemotherapy, reactive oxygen/nitrogen species and their role in carcinogenesis, anticancer drug resistance, and cancer metastasis. His research has expended to include the investigation of herbal and marine organism extracts for use in cancer therapy and in "cosmeceuticals."

"I've studied cancer cell biology from cell samples from the US. Now I'm studying Thai cancer cells because I want to understand the different types of cancer people suffer here and work to find a drug that suits Thai people," Pithi said.

Another CU lecturer to win an award this year was Dr Yuttanant Boonyongmaneerat. He conducted research aimed at the development of a novel hotdip galvanising technique that requires relatively low zinc consumption and yields galvanised steels of high corrosion resistance.

Dr Kajornsak Faungnawakij, from the National Nanotechnology Centre, was the third award recipient for his team's research and development in chemical engineering and applied chemistry.

His team designs active catalysts for various types of reactors and their goal is to replace homogeneous catalysts that are generally nonreusable and polluting, with green and novel heterogeneous nanocatalysts, to provide near zero pollution.

Fourth award recipient was Assoc Prof Dr Yongyut Laosiritaworn, lecturer and researcher from Chiang Mai University. He uses computational physics techniques to establish a fundamental scientific database for electronic industries in designing various applications with better and more economical performances.

Head of the award judges, Amaret Bhumiratana, said Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn would present the winning scientists with shields of honour on August 9. The outstanding scientist would get aBt400,000 cash prize and each of the young scientists would get Bt100,000 cash prize.

The Foundation of the Promotion of Science and Technology under the Patronage of His Majesty the King presented the awards.

-- The Nation 2011-08-05

[geriatrickid]

In a forum filled so many sad stories, and negative comments about Thai intellectual abilities, here's a good story and yet, not one comment.

I don't know about the other folks but Dr Pithi Chanvorachote from Chulalongkorn University is a pharmacologist.

He's attached to the pharmacology faculty and did grad donkey work in the US at some decent facilities and he studied in Tokyo. He has studied sponge extracts which doesn't sound glamorous, but many plants and animal organisms do have some interesting cancer control abilities. He's also presented at international conferences.

Congratulations to all the award winners and especially to the charming Professor C.