Virologist Yong Poovorawan, head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University, was awarded the Honorary Medical Scientist award by the Foundation of the Department of Medical Sciences (DMC) on Wednesday.
The foundation awards the prize to a person whose work has contributed towards improving public health in Thailand.
In addition to displaying commitment and contributing to the field, the recipient must also be a moral and ethical role model for other medical scientists and the general public.
"Dr Yong is a scientist and researcher who has dedicated himself to medical and scientific research for four decades. He is known for being honest, patient and grateful to his colleagues," Dr Sathaporn Wongcharoen, chairman of the foundation, said. "He also earned the respect of his students."
Dr Yong initiated research into viral hepatitis in Thailand, the result of which became the basis for the nation's hepatitis inoculation drive, which greatly reduced the local spread of the virus. He is also working with the Public Health Ministry and International Vaccine Institute to study the efficacy of single-dose vaccines against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). The study was conducted at Udon Thani and Buri Ram, overseen by the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology.
Since the onset of Covid-19 in 2019, the centre has studied the genetic make-up of the novel coronavirus, which helps speed up the diagnosis of new cases. Dr Yong has made a name for himself giving interviews about the virus.