/ Our Mission
Conservation Medicine, based in Malaysia, is committed to working with our Malaysian partners, EcoHealth Alliance, the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit and with our colleagues and partners across South East Asia and beyond to continue training and capacity building efforts to strengthen zoonotic research and improve biosecurity and biosafety.
We will continue disease surveillance at high-risk interfaces and in hospital settings; identify which new pathogens pose a risk to humans, wildlife and livestock and improve diagnostics. We will also continue working with high-risk populations to reduce the risk of zoonotic spillover and with industry and others involved in land-use and development planning to help them develop the tools needed to make informed decisions about where and how to carry out land-use change.
This effort will help to build on our readiness to respond to the next Disease X.
/ The Challenge
Zoonotic spillover events are increasing
Increased deforestation, land-use change, the legal and illegal wildlife trade are causing more and more zoonotic spillover events.
In the last century, on average two new diseases have jumped from animals to humans every year. Many are mild or go unnoticed, but others – such as Ebola, HIV, SARS-CoV-1, Nipah and COVID-19 – can have devastating economic and public health impacts. Wild animals like bats and rodents are the natural reservoir for zoonotic pathogens and have carried these pathogens for thousands of years. They are not to blame for these disease emergence events – it is humans who are responsible for altering the environment and increasing contact and conflict with these important species.
Uncontrolled development is unsustainable
Development and agricultural activities alone are not the problem. It is the lack of respect for the natural environment and all it provides to keep us healthy as well as the pressure for short term economic profit over long term sustainability that drive disease emergence.
If we continue to grow our cities, expand our transport networks and convert land to agriculture without proper land-use planning, prioritising short term profit over protecting our natural habitat these events will continue to occur. The rainforest plays a vital role in preventing disease emergence, providing habitat for wildlife away from humans and livestock, as well as regulating the climate, absorbing carbon dioxide, and maintaining the world’s water cycle.
/ The Solution
Healthy Environment = Healthy Humans
If we want to have healthy humans, we need to have a healthy environment, healthy wildlife and healthy livestock. Harming or neglecting the care of one will have a direct impact on the others. As COVID-19 has reminded us, the human and natural worlds are interconnected – our impact on the natural environment will in turn impact us all. We must learn to balance our needs with the needs of the world around us, and sustainably manage the land we depend on for our own survival.
/ The Team
Tom Hughes
Tom is the Founder and Director of Conversation Medicine, and the Malaysian Project Coordinator and a Senior Fellow for EcoHealth Alliance. He works closely with partners in Malaysia from the Ministry of Health, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, the Department of Veterinary Services, Sabah Wildlife Department and Sabah State Health Department to establish sustainable disease surveillance systems for wildlife and people with high exposure to wildlife. He has expertise in wildlife biology, field logistics, zoonotic disease surveillance in wildlife, livestock, and humans, conducting risk assessments and multi-disciplinary research coordination. Tom is affiliated with the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit in Bangkok, Thailand who he works closely with to develop personnel and laboratory capacity for biosecurity and biosafety in South East Asia.
MEI-HO LEE
Mei-Ho has worked with Conservation Medicine since 2010 and is the Laboratory Coordinator. Her areas of expertise include microbiology, molecular biology, serology, lab diagnostics, lab development, biosafety, and qualitative risk assessment methods. As Laboratory Coordinator, Mei-Ho organises all lab testing and operations at all partnering labs in Malaysia and oversees our lab team. Mei-Ho coordinates all communication with District Health Officers and the Orang Asli communities at our study sites and with the study team for our syndromic surveillance work. She trains staff from our partnering labs on various lab techniques, biosafety, and lab safety. She also manages all our local human study permits.
Jimmy Lee
Jimmy has worked with Conservation Medicine since 2010 and is the Field Coordinator. Jimmy’s expertise includes wildlife biology, trapping and sampling, laboratory development through biosafety and qualitative risk assessment methods, coordinating trainings on all aspects of our work and engaging with the communities we work with. Jimmy manages the field team and coordinates all our field work in Malaysia, working closely with our government partners. He helps coordinate the Sabah Wildlife Health Unit, a collaboration with Sabah Wildlife Department and handles all our community outreach in the various communities we work with across Malaysia.
VELSRI SHARMINIE
Velsri has worked with Conservation Medicine since 2017 and is the Programme Assistant. Velsri supports all administrative and organizational matters for Conservation Medicine, including providing technical support on the management of sampling data and reporting, continuous database management and providing organizational support in all capacity building and training activities in Malaysia. Velsri also manages all administrative matters including meeting coordination, travel and equipment inventory and providing support in communication with partners and collaborators.
NUR AMIRAH MD SUNGIF
Amirah has worked with Conservation Medicine since 2017 carrying out lab work at all our partnering labs in Malaysia, assisting with lab development and partner training, as well as being a member of the field team and regularly joining sampling trips. Amirah has 5 years’ experience using molecular diagnostic techniques.
ALEXTER JAPRIN
Alexter has worked with Conservation Medicine since 2017 carrying out field work across Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah sampling wildlife and livestock and supporting our human surveillance work. Alexter’s experience and knowledge make him an important part of our training and capacity building efforts.
RONALD BIN HERBERT M TINGGU
Ronald has worked with Conservation Medicine since 2017 carrying out field work across Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah sampling wildlife and livestock and supporting our human surveillance work. Ronald is experienced in using a range of traps and maintains all our electrical equipment for field work.
MUHAMMAD SHAHRUL RAZALI
Shahrul has been working with Conservation Medicine since 2020 carrying out field work across Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah sampling wildlife and livestock. Shahrul has an educational background in Zoology and experience assisting with training and capacity building efforts.
/ Partners
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/ Partners
