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Walailak University, led by President Professor Dr. Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, welcomed Dr. Ludovic Andres, Attaché for Science and Higher Education at the French Embassy in Thailand, and Professor Arnaud Monteil from the Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, France, at the Honor Hall of Professor Dr. Wichit Srisa-an Building today. The visit aimed to explore academic and research collaboration between Walailak University and French institutions, as well as to continue joint research with Professor Monteil.

Professor Dr. Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, President of Walailak University, emphasized that the university is committed to producing world-class research as a research-intensive institution in Thailand. Each year, Walailak researchers publish in Scopus-indexed journals, particularly in Quartile 1 (Q1) and Quartile 2 (Q2). As of 30 April 2025, 94.8 percent of the university’s publications fall within Q1 and Q2 - the highest ratio in the country.

Currently, Associate Professor Dr. Warangkana Chunglok, a researcher and lecturer at the School of Allied Health Sciences, is collaborating with Professor Monteil on research related to ion channels - proteins that regulate the flow of ions in and out of the cells. The project employs techniques such as gene editing to study how changes in ion channel function affect cell responses.

In addition, Miss Nassareen Supaweera, a Ph.D. student in the Health Sciences program, will conduct research at Professor Monteil’s laboratory at the Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Montpellier, beginning on 1 September 2025. She has been awarded the Royal Golden Jubilee (RGJ) Scholarship for 2023 by the National Research Council of Thailand, which supports a nine-month research stay from 1 September 2025 to 31 May 2026.

During the visit, the School of Allied Health Sciences also organized special lectures on viral vectors for gene transfer and genome editing, publishing in high-impact journals, and research collaboration opportunities - featuring Professor Monteil as the keynote speaker.