Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences
Antimicrobial resistance, pharmacokinetics, drug interaction surveillance, community pharmacy practice, and clinical pharmacology in the Cambodian and Southeast Asian context.
14 Active Projects- 44+
- Active Projects
- 30+
- Publications (2020–2025)
- $300K+
- Research Funding (2024)
- 8
- International Research Partners
Where We Focus
6 Research Focus Areas
Our research agenda is driven by the health challenges of Cambodia and the region — producing evidence that reaches policymakers, clinicians, and communities.
Infectious Disease & Public Health
Epidemiology of HIV, dengue, malaria, and emerging pathogens; vaccination uptake; maternal and child health; community-based health intervention design.
9 Active ProjectsOral & Dental Health
Prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease in Cambodian populations, restorative techniques, access to oral healthcare in underserved provinces.
6 Active ProjectsHealth Informatics & Digital Health
Telemedicine adoption, digital health literacy, electronic medical records in resource-limited settings, and AI-assisted diagnostic tools for Southeast Asian healthcare.
7 Active ProjectsClinical & Translational Research
Bridging laboratory findings to patient care — hospital-acquired infection control, clinical nutrition, laboratory diagnostics, and evidence-based nursing practice.
8 Active ProjectsTraditional & Complementary Medicine
Scientific validation of Khmer traditional remedies, integration of complementary therapies with modern clinical practice, and Cambodia's role in regional ethnobotany.
4 Active ProjectsCurrent & Recent
Featured Research Projects
A selection of UP-led studies — from national pharmacy surveillance to randomised controlled trials in maternal health.
Pharmacy
Active
Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance in Cambodian Community Pharmacies
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lim Sophal
A national cross-sectional study assessing rates of antibiotic dispensing without prescription in 200+ community pharmacies across five provinces, with intervention pilot design.
Public Health
Active
COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Booster Uptake in Rural Cambodian Communities
Dr. Meas Dara
Mixed-methods study examining barriers to booster acceptance among adults in Kampong Cham, Battambang, and Siem Reap, informing tailored public health messaging strategies.
Health IT
Recruiting
Digital Health Literacy Among Health Sciences Students in Southeast Asia
Dr. Khy Rachana
Multi-country comparative survey measuring digital health competency across Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand — identifying curriculum gaps and best practice models.
Dentistry
Completed
Prevalence of Dental Caries in School-Age Children in Phnom Penh
Dr. Sok Chanthy
Cross-sectional survey of 1,200 children aged 6–12 in Phnom Penh primary schools. Found 72% caries prevalence — results informed the national Oral Health Policy 2024.
Medical Lab
Active
Point-of-Care Diagnostics for Dengue Detection in Resource-Limited Settings
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lim Sophea
Validation of rapid antigen tests for dengue NS1 and IgM/IgG across three provincial hospitals, comparing sensitivity and specificity with PCR gold standard.
Public Health
Recruiting
Maternal Nutrition Interventions and Birth Outcomes in Kampong Cham Province
Dr. Pich Socheata
Randomised controlled trial assessing the impact of an iron-folate supplementation and counselling programme on maternal anaemia and low-birthweight neonates.
Our Facilities
Research Centres & Units
Four dedicated research units — each with specialist labs, expert faculty leads, and active international collaborations.
Pharmacy & Drug Research Unit
The PDRU coordinates pharmacoepidemiology, drug utilisation, and pharmaceutical care research. It houses UP's analytical chemistry lab and collaborates with the National Authority of Medicines and Food of Cambodia (NAMFC).
Public Health Research Centre
The PHRC focuses on epidemiology, health system strengthening, and community health interventions. It manages UP's long-running partnerships with WHO Cambodia and Institut Pasteur du Cambodge.
Clinical Skills & Simulation Centre
State-of-the-art simulation facility supporting clinical training research, patient safety studies, and comparative effectiveness of simulation-based learning methodologies in health education.
Health Informatics & Digital Health Lab
Established in 2022, the HIDHL pioneers telemedicine, electronic health record design, and AI-assisted diagnostics research in partnership with ADB and regional technology universities.
Governance
Research Committee
The University of Puthisastra Research Committee (UPRC) is a subcommittee of the UP Academic Board. UPRC's main role is to enhance the research environment, including but not limited to strategy development, research promotion, and ethical review of all studies conducted at the university.
UPRC Chairperson
Prof. Chea Sin
Professor Chea Sin chairs the University of Puthisastra Research Committee, overseeing the strategic direction of all research activities, ethical review processes, and institutional research partnerships.
01
Developing Strategy, Policy & Guidelines
UPRC is tasked with creating and implementing strategies, policies, and guidelines to support the university's strategic goals in research activities — ensuring UP research meets national and international standards.
02
Leadership in Promoting Research
UPRC provides leadership to promote research within the university, ensuring that research activities align with UP's strategic objectives and maintain high standards of quality and ethical integrity across all faculties.
03
Ethical Review
UPRC conducts robust ethical reviews of all research undertaken at the university to ensure that it adheres to established ethical standards and guidelines — protecting participants, researchers, and the institution.
Meets monthly
6-week ethics review cycle
All studies require REB approval
Peer-Reviewed Output
Recent Publications
UP researchers publish in international peer-reviewed journals indexed in PubMed, Scopus, and WHO IRIS. All institutional publications are listed in our Research Repository.
Full Publication List
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2025 Journal
Antibiotic dispensing practices without prescription in Cambodian community pharmacies: a cross-sectional national study
PLOS ONE, 20(1): e0310244
View article -
2024 Journal
Digital health literacy and readiness for telehealth among undergraduate health sciences students: a multi-country Southeast Asian survey
Digital Health, 10: 20552076241280431
View article -
2024 Journal
Prevalence and determinants of dental caries in school-age children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia: a cross-sectional study of 1,200 children
International Dental Journal, 74(3): 512–519
View article -
2023 Journal
COVID-19 booster vaccine hesitancy among adults in rural Cambodia: a mixed-methods study
Vaccine, 41(48): 7121–7130
View article -
2023 Policy
Evidence brief: Strengthening Cambodia's antimicrobial stewardship programme in community pharmacy settings
WHO Cambodia Policy Evidence Series, Technical Report 2023-04
View article
External Funding
Grants & Research Partners
UP research is externally funded and independently peer-reviewed — ensuring the highest standards of scientific rigour and real-world relevance.
$85K
WHO Antimicrobial Resistance Grant
WHO Cambodia
$120K
UNICEF Maternal Nutrition RCT
UNICEF Cambodia
$55K
Institut Pasteur Dengue Diagnostics
Institut Pasteur
$42K
ADB Digital Health Literacy Study
Asian Development Bank
Research Partners
Institut Pasteur du Cambodge WHO Cambodia National Institute of Public Health Khon Kaen University AJOU University Asian Development Bank Institut Pasteur (Paris) UNICEF CambodiaGet Involved
Research Pathways for Students
You don't have to wait until postgraduate study to do research at UP. Six pathways exist for undergraduate students to engage with real scientific work from Year 1.
Research Elective
Year 3 and Year 4 students can opt into a dedicated research elective — spending a full semester embedded in a faculty-supervised research project with a formal methodology module.
Year 3–4 · Credit-BearingResearch & Innovation Club
UP's most active student club — running weekly journal clubs, research seminars, statistics workshops, and the annual UP Student Research Day conference.
Open to All YearsFaculty-Supervised Thesis
Final-year students complete a 12,000-word original research thesis under individual faculty supervision. The strongest theses are submitted to peer-reviewed journals.
Year 4 · MandatoryInternational Conference Fund
UP funds up to 20 students per year to attend and present at international health science conferences. Applications open each October.
Competitive · FundedResearch Assistant Positions
Paid part-time positions embedded within the PDRU, PHRC, CSSC, and HIDHL for students with strong academic records. Gain real lab and field experience while earning.
Paid · CompetitiveResearch Excellence Grant
Continuing students can apply for up to $1,500 in seed funding for independent student-led research projects, assessed by the Research Committee each semester.
Up to $1,500 · Twice Yearly
2–4 wks
Proposal Review Time
$1,500
Max Student Grant
Submit a Research Proposal
How to Get Started
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1
Identify a research question aligned with one of UP's six focus areas.
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2
Contact the relevant Research Centre Lead to discuss supervision availability.
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3
Submit a 1-page research concept note to research@puthisastra.edu.kh.
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4
Receive feedback within 2 weeks and — if approved — begin protocol development.
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5
Submit your full protocol to the UP Research Ethics Board (REB) for ethical review.
Research Forms & Templates
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Research Concept Note Template
DOCX · Research Office
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UP Research Ethics Board (REB) Application
PDF · Research Office
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Student Research Excellence Grant Application
PDF · Research Office
Research Ethics Board (REB)
All research involving human subjects at UP must receive REB approval before data collection begins. The board meets monthly. Allow at least 6 weeks for review. Contact the REB →