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A message from the Director of the IHCM |
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Thank you for visiting our website.
The Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) was founded in 1995 with the goal of studying diseases important in the region. Today, almost 16 years later, we've come a long way towards achieving our goals. We have state-of- the-art laboratory facilities which allow us to pursue multiple areas of research and a team of talented academic staff dedicated to investigating the causes and diagnosis of viral diseases of public health importance in the region. Most importantly, we have created and continue to strengthen links within our community and have contributed greatly to health issues relevant to the people of Sarawak.
The institute's location in Borneo allows us to study tropical diseases in the areas where they naturally occur. We are currently pursuing projects related to enteroviruses, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and adenoviruses. Our lab has also responded successfully to new and emerging health threats within the Sarawak community, such as the epidemic in 1997 which caused a spate of infant deaths. In all of these projects we have followed an integrated approach which addresses the fundamental causes of the disease as well as practical methods for diagnosis.
The institute is affiliated with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), and we sponsor several Masters' and Ph.D. students as well as hosting visiting researchers from around the world. We are excited about the continuing potential for research in Sarawak and hope to continue expanding our staff and the scope of our research efforts in the years to come.
Associate Prof. Dr. David Perera
Director IHCM
(January 2012) |
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