On 12 May, GYA members John Malone (USA), Alexander Kagansky (Russia), Shamsun Khan (Bangladesh), Sergey Kostyrko (Russia), Mahesh Kumar (India), Clarissa Rojas (Peru), Felycia Soetaredjo (Indonesia), and Abdalhadi Alijla (Sweden) presented research seminars at Burapha University, Thailand, as part of an outreach activity for the Global Young Academy Young Scientist Ambassador Programme (YSAP).
The goal of YSAP is to build connections between researchers in different countries and the outreach activity facilitated interactions between researchers in Thailand and seven countries. GYA members presented research on the evolutionary biology of sex chromosomes, natural product screens for promising anti-cancer molecules, sexually transmitted diseases and the molecular biology of HIV virus, mathematical modeling of stress in thin film materials, nanomaterial research, science diplomacy, natural biomaterials to replace plastics, and new methods for studying changes in democracy.
More than 65 students, researchers, and staff attended the research seminars. After the seminars, GYA members were given tours of several research facilities, including the Vacuum Technology and Thin Films Research Laboratory, Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory, Microbiology Laboratory, and the Central Molecular Biology Laboratory of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences. These tours enabled time for more detailed discussions and brainstorming for collaborative research projects.
GYA members were also able to address questions from local high school students that attended the event from Assumption College-Sriracha and the Princess Chulabhorn Science High School-Chonburi, providing students an opportunity to interact with scientists from around the world. Taken together, students and researchers from Thailand and members of the GYA were able to connect and build new bridges for research and collaboration. The GYA would like to thank Burapha University and especially Drs. Pattaraporn Kidpholjarean, Ekaruth Srisook and Marut Thangwattanachuleeporn for facilitating this research exchange and for the wonderful hospitality during the visit.