Tewin Tencomnao | Immunology | Best Researcher Award

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Assist. Prof. Dr. Tewin Tencomnao | Immunology | Best Researcher Award

Dean at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

Assist. Prof. Dr. Tewin Tencomnao is the Head of the Center of Excellence on Natural Products for Neuroprotection and Anti-Ageing at Chulalongkorn University, where he also serves as Assistant Professor in Clinical Chemistry and Dean of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics from Virginia Commonwealth University and a B.Sc. in Medical Technology (Honors) from Chulalongkorn University. His research spans drug discovery, natural products, molecular biology, biochemistry, neuroscience, anti-ageing, and mechanisms of neuropsychiatric diseases. Dr. Tencomnao has authored more than 205 publications, accumulating over 10,636 citations, and maintains a strong h-index of 34, reflecting his influence in neuroprotection and natural product research. He has received several prestigious recognitions, including the 2021 Fulbright Thai Visiting Scholar Award (University of Kentucky), the 2020 Outstanding Researcher Award of Chulalongkorn University, the 2015 DMSc Award from the Ministry of Public Health for his groundbreaking work on Rhinacanthus nasutus, and a 2015 international Gold Award for innovation for developing an anti-ageing cream derived from natural resveratrol. He has contributed extensively to scientific literature through numerous book chapters covering medicinal Thai herbs, neuroprotection, phytochemistry, natural anti-ageing compounds, probiotics, and medicinal plant responses to environmental stresses, with recent works published by CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, Elsevier, Springer Nature, and Bentham Science. His scholarly outputs highlight significant advances in natural neuroprotectants, autophagy regulation, medicinal plant proteomics, anti-glutamate neurotoxicity mechanisms, and therapeutic potentials of phytochemicals in ageing and neurodegeneration, establishing him as a leading authority in natural product-based biomedical innovation.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Areekul, P., Bhunyakarnjanarat, T., Suebnuson, S., Somsri, K., Trakultritrung, S., Taveethavornsawat, K., Tencomnao, T., Boonyasuppayakorn, S., & Leelahavanichkul, A. (2025). Less severe inflammation in cyclic GMP–AMP synthase (cGAS)-deficient mice with rabies: Impact of mitochondrial injury and gut–brain axis. Biology, 14(11), 1583. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14111583

Alugoju, P., Palanisamy, C. P., Anthikapalli, N. V. A., Jayaraman, S., Prasanskulab, A., Chuchawankul, S., Dyavaiah, M., & Tencomnao, T. (2024). Exploring the anti-aging potential of natural products and plant extracts in budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae: A review. F1000Research, 13, 141669. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.141669.2

Alugoju, P., Bhandare, V. V., Patil, V. S., Krishna Swamy, V. K. D., Borugadda, P. K., & Tencomnao, T. (2024). In silico molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation of agarwood compounds with molecular targets of Alzheimer’s disease. F1000Research, 13, 130618. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.130618.2

Janpaijit, S., Sukprasansap, M., Tencomnao, T., & Prasansuklab, A. (2024). Anti-neuroinflammatory potential of areca nut extract and its bioactive compounds in anthracene-induced BV-2 microglial cell activation. Nutrients, 16(17), 2882. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16172882

Pattarachotanant, N., Sukjamnong, S., Rangsinth, P., Chaikhong, K., Sillapachaiyaporn, C., Leung, G. P.-H., Hu, V. W., Sarachana, T., Chuchawankul, S., Tencomnao, T., et al. (2024). Aquilaria crassna extract exerts neuroprotective effect against benzo[a]pyrene-induced toxicity in human SH-SY5Y cells: An RNA-seq-based transcriptome analysis. Nutrients, 16(16), 2727. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16162727

Sharika, R., Mongkolpobsin, K., Rangsinth, P., Prasanth, M. I., Nilkhet, S., Pradniwat, P., Tencomnao, T., & Chuchawankul, S. (2024). Experimental models in unraveling the biological mechanisms of mushroom-derived bioactives against aging- and lifestyle-related diseases: A review. Nutrients, 16(16), 2682. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16162682

Tedasen, A., Chiabchalard, A., Tencomnao, T., Yamasaki, K., Majima, H. J., Phongphithakchai, A., & Chatatikun, M. (2024). Anti-melanogenic activity of ethanolic extract from Garcinia atroviridis fruits using in vitro experiments, network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation. Antioxidants, 13(6), 713. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13060713

Hygon Mutavhatsindi | Infectious Diseases | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Hygon Mutavhatsindi | Infectious Diseases | Best Researcher Award

Specialist Scientist, SAMRC, South Africa.

Hygon Mutavhatsindi is a Specialist Scientist at the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) with a robust background in biochemistry, molecular biology, and immunology. His research explores infectious diseases, particularly tuberculosis (TB), HIV, and COVID-19, using molecular and immunological techniques. Dr. Mutavhatsindi has made significant contributions to immunology and TB research, aiming to identify non-sputum biomarkers to improve TB diagnosis and treatment outcomes. His work has earned him national and international recognition, alongside numerous grants and awards.

Profile

Scopus

Orcid

Education 🎓

Dr. Hygon Mutavhatsindi began his academic journey at the University of Venda, where he earned a BSc in Biochemistry and Biology (2009-2012), followed by an Honours degree in Biochemistry in 2013. He continued to pursue advanced studies at the same institution, obtaining an MSc in Biochemistry (2014-2015). His passion for molecular biology led him to Stellenbosch University, where he completed his PhD in Molecular Biology (2016-2019). During his doctoral studies, Dr. Mutavhatsindi focused on cutting-edge research, contributing to scientific advancements in his field.

Following his PhD, Dr. Mutavhatsindi undertook a prestigious Postdoctoral Fellowship in Immunology at the University of Cape Town (2020-2023). During this period, he deepened his expertise in immunological research, working on projects that explored the intricate mechanisms of immune response. His postdoctoral work not only advanced his academic credentials but also positioned him at the forefront of immunological science, further strengthening his research profile and contributing to ongoing scientific discussions in molecular biology and immunology.

Experience 💼

Dr. Hygon Mutavhatsindi currently serves as a Specialist Scientist at the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), a role he began in February 2024. In this position, he leads research efforts in tuberculosis (TB) and immunology, supervises postgraduate students, and manages multiple research projects. Prior to this, he was a Scientific Officer at the Cape Town HVTN Immunology Laboratory (May 2023–January 2024), where he conducted clinical studies and flow cytometry experiments, contributing to crucial immunological research.

Before taking on these roles, Dr. Mutavhatsindi completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Cape Town (February 2020–January 2023), where his work focused on TB and COVID-19 immunology. His academic journey began as a PhD Researcher at Stellenbosch University (June 2016–December 2019), where he specialized in identifying TB biomarkers and evaluating treatment responses, building a strong foundation for his later contributions to immunology and infectious disease research.

Research Interests 🔬

TB Biomarkers: Focuses on identifying reliable biomarkers for tuberculosis diagnosis and monitoring treatment efficacy.

Non-Sputum Diagnostic Methods: Investigates blood- and saliva-based biomarkers to develop non-sputum diagnostic alternatives for TB, making diagnosis easier in low-resource settings.

Immunological Responses: Studies the immune system’s response to infectious diseases, with an emphasis on TB, HIV, and COVID-19.

Infectious Disease Immunology: Explores the interactions between pathogens and host immune responses to enhance understanding of disease progression and treatment outcomes.

TB Treatment Monitoring: Aims to develop new methods for tracking patient progress during TB treatment through biomarker discovery.

Cross-Disease Immunology: Compares immune responses across different infectious diseases, seeking common biomarkers and pathways for broader diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Awards 🏆

Awards and Grants:

UCT CIDRI-Africa Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020-2022)

Fogarty HIV-Associated TB Training Program (2020-2022)

NRF Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021-2022)

SAMRC Doctoral Internship Scholarship (2017-2019)

NRF PhD and Masters Scholarships

Publications Top Notes 📚 

Validation and optimisation of host immunological bio-signatures for a point-of-care test for TB disease – Front. Immunol., 2021. link

Identification of novel salivary candidate protein biomarkers for tuberculosis diagnosis – Tuberculosis, 2021. link

Protocol to quantify and phenotype SARS-CoV-2 specific T-cell response – Star Protocols, 2022. link

Blood and site of disease inflammatory profiles in HIV-1-infected pericardial tuberculosis patients – OFID, 2023. link

Application of cerebrospinal fluid host protein biosignatures in the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis in children – Mediators of Inflammation, 2019. link