Acclaimed virologist Prasert dies at 86
Emeritus Professor Dr Prasert Thongcharoen, one of the country’s leading virologists, who served as an adviser to the Department of Disease Control, died on Tuesday morning at Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital. He was 86.
His remains were taken to Wat That Thong for a bathing rite the same day, to be followed by Abhidhamma prayers.
Born on January 2, 1933, Prasert became a specialist on SARS, HIV, avian flu and other diseases.
He was awarded as a National Outstanding Researcher in 1991.
He earned his doctorate at the University of Medical Sciences (now Mahidol University) in 1957 and was a research fellow and Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung scholar at the Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg, Germany, from 1960-1962.
He was the director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre on Aids and a member of the organisation’s Expert Committee Advisory Panel on Virus Diseases.
Dr Prasert was president of the Influenza Foundation in Thailand.
More than 200 entries are attributed to him in Thai- and foreign-language academic publications.