Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre

07/02/2026

Wondering why our page is so quiet? Come and see what we’re up to on LinkedIn!

Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) | 2,443 pengikut di LinkedIn. Driving infectious disease research and the biomedical ecosystem in Sarawak. | The Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) was conceptualised in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for improved pandemic prep...

24/08/2025

Thank you for facilitating discussions with colleagues from MPHLG and JKNS, Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian. It was fantastic to hear about the big picture and plans for Sarawak from your perspective!

13/08/2025

We’re Hiring!

We’re looking for an Office Assistant to join our team.

Find out more here: https://sidc.org.my/vacancies/

Know someone who might be interested? Please help us spread the word!

To enable and drive infectious disease research and catalyse the biomedical industry in Sarawak through cutting-edge technology and data-driven approach.

11/08/2025

[Program Pembangunan Komuniti MDSA – Ulu Undop, Sri Aman]

This morning at Rumah Bair, Kampung Sebangkoi, the Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) joined the Program Pembangunan Komuniti MDSA together with PDRM IPD Sri Aman and the Sri Aman Divisional Health Office.

SIDC presented the findings of the Disease Surveillance Programme (DSP) carried out from 27 February to 1 March 2025 in the area.

The DSP findings highlight the importance of:
1. Continuous monitoring for early detection of infectious diseases;
2. Engagement with the communities to raise health awareness;
3. Strengthening preventive measures to safeguard public health.

Thank you to Majlis Daerah Sri Aman (MDSA) for hosting, and to YB Datuk Francis Harden Hollis for his support in bringing agencies and the community together.

Collaboration like this is key to improving health in rural areas. Together, we can build healthier and more resilient communities.

27/07/2025

We were delighted to welcome Professor Liz Grant (Assistant Principal for Global Health and Director of the Global Health Academy) and Professor Eric Schirmer (Director for Internationalisation at the School of Biological Sciences), Audrey Kon (Regional Director, Southeast Asia and Cross-Regional Projects, Edinburgh Global) and Indre Petrauskaite (Head of International Operations at the School of Biological Sciences) from The University of Edinburgh for a visit to Sarawak.

The group was graciously hosted by our colleagues, Dr Ann Basik, Dr Asha Devi Kaushal and Dr Tu Chu Lee and their team at the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre, where they toured the facilities and learned about local research initiatives.

In the afternoon, we were also privileged to engage with Puan Sharifah Fariah Syed Junaidi, Head of the Division of Education at the of Education, Innovation and Talent Development, on Sarawak’s vision for education and capacity building in Sarawak.

The day concluded with a dinner discussion with academics from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) including Professor Dr Fitri Suraya Mohamad (Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic and International Affairs), Professor Dr Mohd-Azlan Jayasilan (Director, Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation), Professor Dr David Perera (Director, Institute of Health and Community Medicine) and Dr Ernisa Marzuki (Head of the Research Enhancement Unit, RDICE).

We're especially grateful to our colleagues from the The University of Edinburgh for taking time out of their packed itinerary to explore some of the exciting projects in our wee corner of the world. Their visit coincided with the first hazy day of this year's dry season, due to the burning of rainforests across the region. It was a stark reminder of the importance of the health of our planet and the role of global partnerships that help to conserve it.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make the visit a success. We look forward to continued conversations and working towards concrete collaborations in talent development, innovation and our shared commitment to bulding better societies.

18/07/2025

Exciting news! SIDC and our awesome colleagues at UNIMAS are teaming up to host a 2-day Data Carpentry Workshop focused on data best practices, genomic data analysis using command-line tools and cloud platforms! 🧬💻

When: 22-23 October 2025
Where: Chemsain, Rock Road, Kuching
How much: RM50 for students, RM300 for others

📅 Don’t miss out, get all the details and sign up here: https://sarawak-infectious-disease-centre.github.io/2025-10-22-unimas/

Places are limited and participants will be selected based on relevance to their work and projects.

This workshop is open to postgraduate students (Master’s or PhD level) and researchers who are planning to generate and/or analyse genome sequence data using open-source command-line tools.

13/07/2025

It was a pleasure to welcome Prof Diana Hansen, an infectious disease researcher from Monash University, Melbourne, to Kuching for the very first time.

Prof Hansen shared her groundbreaking research on malaria and dengue, two mosquito-borne diseases that together account for over 600,000 deaths globally each year, followed by an insightful and engaging discussion with our team. These diseases remain a significant public health concern in Sarawak.

Her deep expertise in pathogenesis and systems immunology brought valuable perspective and her passion for translational science left a lasting impression on all of us at Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC).

We’re grateful for the opportunity to connect, exchange ideas and explore meaningful collaborations to strengthen research and public health capacity in Sarawak.

02/07/2025

The Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) recently had the opportunity to present the outcomes of our first Disease Surveillance Programme (DSP) at Rumah Bair, Kampung Sebangkoi Ulu Undop, Sri Aman. The findings were shared with YB Datuk Francis Harden Hollis, Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development II (Talent Development) and Assemblyman for N.32 Simanggang, at his office.

The programme, conducted from 27 February to 1 March 2025, marked a significant milestone in our efforts to enhance community-level infectious disease monitoring in rural Sarawak. This initiative represents an important step towards strengthening early detection, prevention and response to infectious diseases, particularly in remote and vulnerable communities that often face limited access to healthcare resources.

Community collaboration remains at the core of effective public health interventions. We are committed to expanding our outreach and continuing our mission to safeguard the health and well-being of all Sarawakians through science-driven, inclusive, and sustainable approaches.

26/06/2025

The Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) team had the incredible opportunity to connect with global and regional partners and collaborators at the recent UK-SEA Vax Hub gathering: a space where science met strategy, and collaboration laid the foundation for a stronger, more equitable future in vaccine development.

Representing the Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC) were CEO Dr Ivan Yap, Dr Owen Xian Wen Tan, Dr Kenneft Wong, Dr. Sharon Tan, and Dr Thamayanthi NADA RAJA. Together, we exchanged knowledge, explored innovative technologies like thermostability and VLP platforms, and discussed key challenges spanning regulatory frameworks to regional capacity building.

The conversations were rich, the perspectives invigorating, and the shared commitment to advancing vaccine access across Southeast Asia and beyond was unmistakable.

A heartfelt thank you to UK-SEA Vax Hub for creating such a dynamic platform for partnership and progress.

At Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC), we’re not just imagining a healthier future, we’re working together to build it.

25/06/2025

Five tired but excited fellows are pleased to return from our third visit to Murdoch University, Perth under the Australia Awards Fellowship programme.

This round of training featured:

- Lectures by Dr Sze How B**g on laboratory accreditation, quality management systems and biotech research commercialisation.

- Sessions on Intellectual Property and commercialisation by Dr Penelope Farbey, a patent attorney and Principal at Wrays | Intellectual Property.

- A compelling talk and discussion with Dr Tobias Schoep, CEO of Life Sciences WA, which connects, accelerates and promotes life science innovation across Western Australia.

- A crash course on NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) technology by the team at the Australian National Phenome Centre for Dr Thamayanthi NADA RAJA and Dr Owen Xian Wen Tan who missed out on the first round of training.

We were well taken care of by our gracious hosts Dr Sze How B**g and Dr Siobhon Egan . Thank you for curating a program that bridged research governance, biotech commercialisation and ecosystem-building!

Looking forward to amplifying these learnings with the SIDC team and our regional partners!

09/06/2025

The Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre team visited the Mahidol Oxford Research Unit (MORU) at the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University in Bangkok. MORU is internationally recognised for its groundbreaking work in tropical medicine, infectious diseases, and global health research.

The visit, coordinated by Dr. Samaporn, was hosted by Professor Nicholas PJ Day, Director of MORU; Professor Richard J Maude, Head of Epidemiology; Dr. Elizabeth Batty, Head of Molecular Microbiology, Dr. Yazid Abdad, Senior Research Scientist and MORU Diagnostic Development Laboratory Manager; and Premjit Amornchai, BSL-3 Laboratory Manager. Each expert shared their extensive knowledge in a range of critical research areas that are relevant to SIDC, including malaria, arboviral diseases such as dengue, melioidosis, and diagnostics for human febrile illnesses, including scrub typhus and rickettsial infections.

A key highlight was the tour of the BSL-3 laboratory and the Diagnostic Development laboratory, where we gained insights into the operations of these research environments. The team demonstrated rigorous protocols in place to study high-risk pathogens safely, as well as the advanced diagnostic techniques being developed for the targeted diseases. These innovations are critical for improving diagnostic capabilities is resource-limited settings.

The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing research efforts, explore training programs, and identify areas for future research collaboration in disease surveillance, diagnostics, and public health responses. Thank you to Dr. Samaporn again for her excellent coordination of the visit and to the MORU team for their hospitality. We look forward to building on this experience to advance global health through research partnerships and training initiatives.

09/06/2025

The Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre team visited the Mahidol Oxford Research Unit (MORU) at the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University in Bangkok. MORU is internationally recognised for its groundbreaking work in tropical medicine, infectious diseases, and global health research.

The visit, coordinated by Dr. Samaporn, was hosted by Professor Nicholas PJ Day, Director of MORU; Professor Richard J Maude, Head of Epidemiology; Dr. Elizabeth Batty, Head of Molecular Microbiology, Dr. Yazid Abdad, Senior Research Scientist and MORU Diagnostic Development Laboratory Manager; and Premjit Amornchai, BSL-3 Laboratory Manager. Each expert shared their extensive knowledge in a range of critical research areas that are relevant to SIDC, including malaria, arboviral diseases such as dengue, melioidosis, and diagnostics for human febrile illnesses, including scrub typhus and rickettsial infections.

A key highlight was the tour of the BSL-3 laboratory and the Diagnostic Development laboratory, where we gained insights into the operations of these research environments. The team demonstrated rigorous protocols in place to study high-risk pathogens safely, as well as the advanced diagnostic techniques being developed for the targeted diseases. These innovations are critical for improving diagnostic capabilities is resource-limited settings.

The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing research efforts, explore training programs, and identify areas for future research collaboration in disease surveillance, diagnostics, and public health responses. Thank you to . Samaporn again for her excellent coordination of the visit and to the MORU team for their hospitality. We look forward to building on this experience to advance global health through research partnerships and training initiatives.