Tom Hughes

Tom Hughes is affiliated with the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) who he works closely with to develop personnel and laboratory capacity for biosecurity and biosafety in South East Asia. Tom received his Bachelor of Science in Development Studies and Natural Resources from the University of East Anglia and has a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Tom is currently a post-graduate student at MORU with Prof Stuart Blacksell (Biorisk and Zoonosis) and Prof Richard Maude (Epidemiology), his PhD research is focused on studying the impact of zoonotic disease surveillance in the indigenous communities of Peninsular Malaysia on reducing the risk of zoonotic disease emergence.

Tom is the Founder and Director of Conversation Medicine, and the Malaysian Project Coordinator and a Senior Fellow for EcoHealth Alliance. Conservation Medicine works with EcoHealth Alliance to develop science-based solutions to prevent pandemics and promote conservation. Tom works closely with partners in Malaysia from the Ministry of Health, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, the Department of Veterinary Services, Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah State Health Department, and local universities, to establish sustainable disease surveillance systems for wildlife and people with high exposure to wildlife. He has expertise in wildlife biology, field logistics, zoonotic disease surveillance in wildlife, livestock, and humans, conducting risk assessments and multi-disciplinary research coordination.

Conservation Medicine, based in Malaysia, is committed to working with EcoHealth Alliance, its Malaysian partners, the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit and with colleagues and partners across South East Asia and beyond to continue training and capacity building efforts to strengthen zoonotic research and improve biosecurity and biosafety. Conservation Medicine will continue disease surveillance at high-risk interfaces and in hospital settings to help identify which new pathogens pose a risk to humans, wildlife, and livestock and improve diagnostics. Conservation Medicine will also continue working with high-risk populations to reduce the risk of zoonotic spillover, and with industry and others involved in land-use and development planning to help them develop the tools needed to make informed decisions about where and how to carry out land-use change. This effort will help to build on our readiness to respond to the next Disease X.