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PETALING JAYA: Malaysian researcher Prof Dr. Moi Meng Leng has become the first foreign researcher to receive the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (Amed) Award for her contribution to regional control of infectious diseases.
Dr. Moi, who currently works with the Nagasaki University Institute of Tropical Medicine, received the award yesterday from the Prime Minister’s office of Japan in Tokyo.
The award was for his contribution to the development of an antibody test to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of vaccines related to mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika and dengue, and this is expected to contribute to the development of dengue vaccines.
“Dr. Moi has contributed to the regional control of infectious diseases by determining the epidemic dynamics of Zika fever, dengue and mosquito-borne diseases in Southeast Asia through phylogenetic analysis and the development of countermeasures.
“Phylogenetic analysis examines the evolutionary development of a species, a group of organisms, or a particular characteristic of an organism.
“It has also contributed to a better understanding of immune response mechanisms and serious diseases in dengue patients, and has successfully established biological models for the development of vaccines and therapies against these diseases,” noted the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia.
A graduate of the University of Putra Malaysia, Dr. Moi was sponsored to continue her Masters and PhD at the University of Tsukuba, Japan.
At an online press conference hosted by the Japanese Embassy in Malaysia, Dr. Moi highlighted the opportunity to strengthen the relationship between Malaysia and Japan to address mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and Zika, both caused by viruses.
“We have developed a new antibody test that is useful for the development of the dengue vaccine and also other vaccines against flaviviruses such as Zika and other viruses transmitted by mosquito nets,” he added.
Dr Moi said that the antibody test had been brought to Vietnam and that she was also in collaboration with the University Hospital Kebangsaan Malaysia for dengue research.
“We hope to bring the advancement of technology between Japan and other parts of Southeast Asia for the development of better therapies and vaccines,” he said, adding that the antibody test was developed to test the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.
Dr. Moi also expressed hope that the technology used for the development of Covid-19 vaccines can also be used for the development of dengue and Zika vaccines, adding that the antibody test she developed together It could also be applied to the study of vaccines against the coronavirus.
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