Professor Virasakdi Chongsuvivatwong, Curriculum Chairperson of the Epidemiology Unit and Advisor, Institute of Research and Development for Health of Southern Thailand, has been appointed as an Advisor to the Minister of Public Health on the Emergency Medical and Public Health Situation: Pulmonary Infections from Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19). The appointment announcement was made on 29 April 2020.

In this capacity, Prof. Chongsuvivatwong will provide expert opinions on prevention and control of Coronavirus and related matters. As the founder of the Epidemiology Unit, Prof. Chongsuvivatwong has nearly 40 years of experience in infectious disease epidemiology, particularly tuberculosis. Among numerous accolades, Prof. Chongsuvivatwong was chosen as the National Outstanding Researcher of 2009 in Medical Sciences from Thailand's National Research Council.