Thai Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol visits University Clinic for Companion Animals
On 16 September, Prof. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol visited the University Clinic for Companion Animal Health at Utrecht University. With great interest, the Princess listened to the clinic’s researchers explain current state of affairs in fields such as veterinary cancer research and treatments, especially radiation treatment and anaesthesia, and the University Clinic’s leading reputation for veterinary care.
Partnerships
The Princess is passionate about the biomedical sciences, and she serves as the President of the Chulabhorn Research Institute. Prof. Wouter Dhert, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine: “It’s a great honour to be able to welcome Prof. Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol to our faculty. Utrecht places a high priority on international cooperation, especially in the field of research. Only through such collaboration will we as scientists be able to help solve global social problems. We are therefore extremely pleased with the partnership between the Chulabhorn Research Institute and our university.”
Utrecht University Professor of Toxicology Martin van den Berg is a visiting professor at the Chulabhorn Research Institute and its affiliated Graduate institute. Van den Berg: “Over the past 15 years, the IRAS and the Chulabhorn Research Institute have conducted biomedical and toxicological research in the field of chemoprevention. This work focused on anti-cancer research, and has resulted in tests of the tumour-inhibiting effects of compounds derived from natural products. We also have an intensive partnership with the Chulabhorn Graduate Institute. Several times per year, we give lectures on topics such as protecting against the negative health effects of pesticides and chemical substances in food.” The courses are organised in part by the WHO and are open to students from the neighbouring countries. Each year, students from Utrecht’s Master’s programme in Toxicology and Environmental Health travel to the Chulabhorn Research Institute to perform a research internship.
The youngest daughter of Their Majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit of Thailand is founding President of the Chulabhorn Research Institute, which was created to assist in the development of Thailand’s capabilities in natural product research and related fields. Her special research interests include the chemistry of natural products, Thai medicinal plants, environmental health problems of developing countries, and cancer research.
Her Royal Highness studied chemistry, and in 1979 she graduated from the Faculty of Science at Kasetsart University, with a First Class Honours Bachelor of Science degree. She continued to study Science at Mahidol University, where she received her doctorate in 1985. In 1986, she was awarded the UNESCO Einstein Medal for her efforts in promoting scientific collaboration, and was the first Asian to be invited to join the Royal Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom as an Honorary Fellow. Since 1985, she has been a Professor of Chemistry at Mahidol University.