My previous work aimed to better understand mechanisms of penicillin resistance, by investigating structure-function relationships of enzymes such as MurM, which is important for cross-linking in the peptidoglycan. My current research focuses on understanding the importance of the structure and composition of the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) and its effect on serotype switching and growth patterns in vitro. We aim to use this to predict future problematic serotype switches and inform serotype selection for next generation PCV development. We have recently developed a Magnetic bead-based separation (MBS) technique which can successfully enrich for serotype-specific pneumococcus in a mixed sample; this method can be used in various lab-based experiments or to isolate carriage serotypes from polymicrobial samples (such as Saliva).

Lay-Myint Yoshida is the Professor and Head of the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Japan. He leads the clinical research group of Nagasaki University-Vietnam research project in Vietnam. He received his medical doctor degree, MBBS (MD) from University of Medical 1, Yangon, Myanmar in 1990 and was trained as a general physician at Yangon General Hospital. He obtained his PhD at Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Japan in 2004. His research area covers abroad range including viral and bacterial pathogens on pneumonia (ARI), vaccine preventable diseases, congenital infection, dengue, HIV drug resistance, etc. He has been working on a population based pediatric acute respiratory infection surveillance in Nha Trang, central Vietnam since 2007. He is the principal investigator of a phase IV PCV reduced dosing schedule study “EVALUATION OF REDUCED DOSE PCV SCHEDULES IN A NAIVE POPULATION IN VIETNAM” funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.