Our Research

We believe research is about being curious; having an open mind; asking questions; and looking for answers and solutions to real world problems. All staff and students at the University of Puthisastra are encouraged to be ‘researchers.’

At the University of Puthisastra, we are committed to quality research to inform evidence-based teaching and practice that will contribute to Cambodian people’s health, well-being, and future prosperity. Research at the University of Puthisastra is aligned with the national research agenda 2025 and international strategies, including the 2015 – 2030 Sustainable Development Goals”. Our research approach is interdisciplinary, working closely with stakeholders and national and international organizations to undertake high-quality research relevant to local, national, and global contexts.

The University of Puthisastra supports mentoring programs for emerging researchers working at UP and promotes ongoing professional development for all staff and supervisors to ensure they have a broad range of skills such as research design (quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods); innovative methods in data collection; ethical review preparation; evidence-based practice and supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students. Students at the University of Puthisastra can be involved in a diverse range of research projects that align with the discipline they are studying in, alongside the opportunity to work across faculties with other students and researchers. The dissemination of research is promoted at the University of Puthisastra through publications in international and regional journals, conferences and regular research presentations open to all staff and students.

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 the following:

  1. Developing Strategy, Policy, and Guidelines: UPRC is tasked with creating and implementing strategies, policies, and guidelines to support the university’s strategic goals in research activities.
  2. Leadership in Promoting Research: It provides leadership to promote research within the university, ensuring that research activities align with the university’s strategic objectives and maintain high standards of quality and ethical integrity.
  3. 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.

Key members of UPRC currently include Prof. Chea Sin, Prof. Sandro Vento, and Assoc. Prof. Chum Chandarin.

Highlighted Research at UP

At the University of Puthisastra, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery and innovation. Our research highlight series provides an opportunity to showcase some of the groundbreaking research our talented team of scientists and scholars conducted. We are proud to highlight a few leading researches in 2023 below:

1. Acute liver failure in low-income and middle-income countries

Acute liver failure is a rare condition involving the rapid development, progression, and worsening of liver dysfunction, characterised by coagulopathy and encephalopathy, and has a high mortality unless liver transplantation is performed. Population-based studies are scarce, and most published data are from high-income countries, where the main cause of acute liver failure is paracetamol overdose. This Review provides an overview of the scanty literature on acute liver failure in low-income and middle-income countries, where patients are often admitted to primary care hospitals and viral hepatitis (especially hepatitis E), tropical infections (eg, dengue), traditional medicines, and drugs (especially anti-tuberculosis drugs) have an important role. We discuss incidence, cause, occurrence in children and pregnant women, prognostic factors and scores, treatment, and mortality. To conclude, we advocate for international collaboration, the establishment of central registries for the condition, and better diagnostics.

published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology in November 2023 – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37837969/

2. Conserved Candidate Antigens and Nanoparticles to Develop Vaccine against Giardia intestinalis

Giardia intestinalis (Giardia lambia, Giardia duodenalis) infections in humans may be asymptomatic or symptomatic and associated with diarrhea (without blood), abdominal cramps, bloating, flatulence, and weight loss. The protozoan Giardia is the third most common cause of diarrhea and death in children under five, preceded only by rotavirus and by Cryptosporidium parvum and C. hominis infections. Antimicrobial drugs, particularly 5-nitroimidazole (5-NIs), are used to treat giardiasis in humans. Immunologically naive or immunocompromised host are more vulnerable to Giardia infection, whereas a degree of resistance to this protozoan is present in humans living in endemic areas. This suggests that vaccination may be a potential and appropriate means to control this parasitic disease outbreak and protect the human population. This review discusses Giardia antigens related to vaccine development. Additionally, based on the latest development of nanoparticle technology, a combination of methods for future research and development is proposed for the design of the next generation of powerful immunogens and an effective vaccine against Giardia.

More can be found at Sangkanu S, Paul AK, Chuprom J, Mitsuwan W, Boonhok R, de Lourdes Pereira M, Sin Chea, et al. Conserved Candidate Antigens and Nanoparticles to Develop Vaccine against Giardia intestinalis. Vaccines [Internet]. 2022 Dec 31 [cited 2023 Feb 5];11(1):96. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9863896/

3. Students’ Perceptions Toward Health Science Career Choice: A Case from Cambodia

The purpose of this study is to investigate the students’ perception of choosing a health science major as a career choice for their higher education degree, to understand why and what motivates them, and to contextualize how these views would impact their studies. This study was a mixed-methods study consisting of quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data were collected using an anonymous Google-form questionnaire, and FGD was used to collect qualitative data. Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings categorized the students’ choice of a health science major based on their personal life experiences, role modules, family support, engagement, high school performance, and career viewpoints. Thus, results indicated that students’ enrollment in a health science major as a career choice was due to their interests in future career perspectives, academic performance, and life experience, with the support and encouragement of their families.

More detail can be found in Sorn V. Students’ Perceptions toward Health Science Career Choice: A Case from Cambodia. Journal of Education and Practice. 2023 Dec 17;7(8):40–56.

4. Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Activities, and HPLC Analysis of Nine Edible Sprouts in Cambodia

The non-nutritional health benefits of sprouts are unconfirmed. Thus, nine sprout methanolic extracts were tested for phytoconstituents and antioxidant activity. The TPC, TCC, TFC, TAC, and TALC were measured. ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assays were used to assess the antioxidant activity. HPLC detected gallic acid, vanillin, syringic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and rutin in the extracts. The sprout extracts contained six compounds, with caffeic acid being the most abundant. Gallic acid, syringic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, vanillin, and rutin were highest in soybean, black sesame, mustard, sunflower, white radish, and black sesame sprouts, respectively. Sunflower sprouts had the highest level of TCC while soybean sprouts had the highest level of TFC, Taiwanese morning glory had the highest level of TPC, mustard sprouts had the highest level of TALC, and black sesame sprouts had the highest level of TAC. Taiwanese morning glories scavenged the most DPPH and ABTS radicals. Colored and white radish sprouts had similar ferric-reducing antioxidant power. Antioxidation mechanisms varied by compound. Our findings demonstrated that sprouts have biological effects, and their short time for mass production offers an alternative food source for health benefits, and that they are useful for future research development of natural products and dietary supplements.

More can be found at So V, Poul P, Oeung S, Srey P, Mao K, Ung H, et al. Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Activities, and HPLC Analysis of Nine Edible Sprouts in Cambodia. Molecules. 2023 Mar 22;28(6):2874.

5. User preferences for ChatGPT-powered conversational interfaces versus traditional methods

This study examined user preferences for ChatGPT-powered conversational interfaces vs traditional techniques. The study collected data from 175 selected volunteers utilizing a survey questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to detect user preferences and compare them to the literature review. The study found that 70% of users chose ChatGPT-powered conversational interfaces over traditional techniques, citing convenience, efficiency, and personalization. Demographic data was explored. The participants were evenly distributed between male and female (50%) and aged 18 to 55 (mean = 35 years). This study affects ChatGPT and conversational AI development. The results indicate that users want to use these technologies in their daily lives. To improve ChatGPT, further study is needed in this area. However, this study’s tiny sample size must be considered. To confirm these findings and investigate other factors affecting conversational interface user preferences, bigger and more diverse samples are needed.

More can be found at Sakirin T, Ben Said R. User preferences for ChatGPT-powered conversational interfaces versus traditional methods. Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science. 2023 Feb 7;24–31.

6. Opportunities, challenges, and strategies for using ChatGPT in higher education: A literature review

While there is a growing body of research on chat generative pre-trained transformer (ChatGPT) in education, there appears to be little research that provides a comprehensive review of challenges, opportunities, and strategies for the effective utilization of ChatGPT in higher education. This study aims to fill this research gap by focusing on the opportunities, challenges, and strategies for using ChatGPT in higher education. The study adopted a literature review approach and employed document analysis as a research design. It reviewed various types of documents, particularly research articles, published since 2022 when ChatGPT was launched. Based on the extensive review, the study shows that ChatGPT offers a variety of opportunities for higher education, including assessment innovation, instructional support, remote learning support, research design and development support, academic writing support, and administrative assistance and productivity. However, ChatGPT also presents a number of challenges and issues related to academic integrity, security and privacy, reliance on artificial intelligence, learning assessment, and information accuracy. The study offers a set of recommendations for the effective utilization of ChatGPT in higher education. It concludes that the application of ChatGPT in higher education presents both benefits and challenges; thus, efforts and strategies are needed to ensure the effective use of ChatGPT for academic purposes.

More can be found in Sok S, Heng K. Opportunities, challenges, and strategies for using ChatGPT in higher education: A literature review. Journal of digital educational technology. 2024 Jan 1;4(1):ep2401–1.

7. Measuring tooth size discrepancies using Bolton analysis: a comparative cross-sectional study among major ethnicity in Malaysia

The Bolton analysis is one of the commonly used tooth size analysis or diagnostic tools in deriving a treatment plan for orthodontic patients. Many studies have indicated and concluded that normal measurements for one group should not be considered normal for other ethnic groups. The aims and objectives of this study were to investigate the applicability of Bolton’s ratios in the orthodontic population of Malaysian main ethnics, Malay, Chinese, and Indians. Comparisons were made in terms of size and distribution of tooth size discrepancy in the Malaysian orthodontic population and the findings were converted in terms of millimeters.

More can be found at Nur A, Siti Adibah Othman, Anand Marya. Measuring tooth size discrepancies using Bolton analysis: a comparative cross-sectional study among major ethnicity in Malaysia. BMC Oral Health. 2023 Aug 2;23(1).

8. Optimization of solvent extraction conditions of Cambodian soybean oil using response surface methodology

The conventional solvent extraction (CSE) method is commonly used to extract oil from oilseeds. Even though the extraction of oil from soybean seeds using the CSE method has been studied extensively, the application of response surface methodology (RSM) has not yet been widely explored. In this paper, the CSE method was employed using three different types of solvents – ethanol (Eth), n-hexane (Hex), and a mixture of Hex:Eth in a ratio of 2:1 – and optimized using RSM to extract the oil from Cambodian soybean seeds. For each solvent, a central composite design (CCD) was applied to optimize the extraction conditions, such as the extraction times (15, 30, and 45 min) and solvent-to-solid ratios (5:1, 10:1, and 15:1 mL/g). This CCD generated 11 experimental runs for each type of solvent. The optimum oil yields when using ethanol, Hex:Eth, and n-hexane were 20.53%, 18.78%, and 17.39%, respectively. The optimum condition was obtained at 15 min extraction time and 15:1 (mL/g) solvent-to-solid ratio for all solvent types. The coefficients of determination of ethanol, Hex:Eth, and n-hexane were 0.9710, 0.9954, and 0.9263, respectively, which mathematically indicated a good model for the prediction. Therefore, the model was considered accurate and reliable for predicting oil yields in this study.

More can be found in Mich M, Kong S, Say M, Nat Y, Chin Ping Tan, Tan R. Optimization of solvent extraction conditions of Cambodian soybean oil using response surface methodology. Journal of food technology research. 2023 Jan 9;10(1):1–10.

9. Preventative interventions by dental care professionals in Africa on oral human papillomavirus, gonorrheal, chlamydial, syphilitic and trichomonas infections: A scoping review

Oral human papillomavirus (HPV), gonorrheal, chlamydial, syphilitic and trichomonas infections are very common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in Africa. However, no known study has reviewed the available evidence concerning the preventative interventions by dental care professionals (DCPs) in Africa on oral STDs; hence, this scoping review was conducted to evaluate the research landscape of this topic area in Africa. The scoping review methodology and documentation were informed by the Arksey and O’Malley’s guideline, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis extension for conducting Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist, and the AMSTAR-2 guideline. Ten electronic research databases were searched to retrieve literatures relevant to the scoping review question. The retrieved literature were deduplicated and screened for eligibility based on the review’s selection criteria. Data charting, collation and summarization were intended to be done in this review, but it could not be done because no relevant literature was found eligible for inclusion into this scoping review.

More can be found at Kanmodi KK, Amzat J, Salami AA, Egbedina EA, Braimah RO. Preventative interventions by dental care professionals in Africa on oral human papillomavirus, gonorrheal, chlamydial, syphilitic and trichomonas infections: A scoping review. Health Science Reports. 2023 May;6(5).

10. Separation Effect, Pain Perception During Functional Activity and Gingival Inflammation of Elastomeric and Kansal Separators- A Split Mouth Study

An effective space opening for band placement with minimal pain and gingival inflammation is a prime requisite during fixed orthodontic procedures. The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two types of separators, elastomeric and Kansal, in the amount of space opening, pain perception elicited, and gingival inflammation. A random split-mouth study was designed with 30 subjects undergoing Fixed orthodontic treatment. Two different separators(Elastomer and Kansal) were placed alternatively on the left and right sides around the mesial and distal sides of the first molars in the mandibular arch of each subject. After three days, the amount of separation after three days was assessed with a leaf gauge on both mesial and distal sides. The subjective pain perception by Visual analog Scale (VAS) at different points and during different functions for each of the three days was evaluated. A self-filled chart was utilized to be performed by the patients.

More can be found in Keerthipati Thejasri, Gowri Sankar Singaraju, Anand Marya, Yamini S, Shaik S, Mandava P. Separation Effect, Pain Perception During Functional Activity and Gingival Inflammation of Elastomeric and Kansal Separators- A Split Mouth Study. Research Square (Research Square). 2022 Oct 27;

Highlighted Projects

UP is proud to showcase some of the most impactful and innovative projects we are currently conducting. In this section, you’ll find a curated selection of projects that represent the breadth and depth of our expertise, creativity, and commitment to excellence.

The Cambodian Health and Nutrition Monitoring Study (CAHENMS)

The CAHENMS is a collaboration between the Oral Health Bureau (Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health, Cambodia), The Maternal Child Nutrition Program, FiA, IRD, and UNICEF. A grant from The Burrow Foundation (UK) has allowed the Oral Health Bureau and UP to investigate the dynamic relationship between early childhood caries and the failure to thrive in Cambodia using this epidemiological, longitudinal study. UP Adj Asst. Prof. Bethy Turton led the oral health part of the study, with the research team being mainly from UP.

Healthy Kids Cambodia

Healthy Kids is an integrated approach to supporting health for school-age children. This strategy focuses on first establishing a social network that can refer children to manage health issues and ensure that healthy behaviors are supported. The second focus is providing a physical environment in which health occurs. Once these foundations are in place, the team can conduct interventions that support health, such as the application of fluoride medicaments (Silver Diammine Fluoride) for preventing tooth decay and the distribution of ‘iron fish’ supplements to prevent iron deficiency anemia. Evaluation of this project is ongoing, and so far, there is evidence that the application of Silver Diammine Fluoride has been successful at managing 70% of cavitated carious lesions in primary school-aged children. Adj Asst. Prof Bethy Turton leads the project, with UP staff and students as co-investigators. Partners in the project include the Oral Health Office, MOH, and the School Health Dept at MOEYS.

Digital Health Competencies for Medical Education

Digital health includes the use of digital tools in healthcare, such as health apps, remote patient monitoring systems, and electronic health records. Digital health literacy is now essential for the provision of high-quality, safe patient care. Professor Sandro Vento is participating in the development of an internationally agreed digital health competencies framework for pre-registration medical education.

The use of Kaempferia parviflora Wall. Ex Baker (Zingiberaceae) in Cambodia

The aim of the study is to review the scientific properties of Kaempferia parviflora Wall Ex Baker (black ginger); to test for its phytochemical properties and to explore the knowledge and practice of folk healers using Kaempferia parviflora Wall, Ex Baker, including how it is prepared, route of administration, duration of use and knowledge/perceptions of outcomes or any occurring side effects. This study is led by Prof. Chea Sin in collaboration with Pharm Product Manufacturing (PPM) in Cambodia.

Citizens’ voice on bringing healthcare services closer

Funded by GIZ Cambodia, the study was conducted to explore Cambodian citizens’ perceptions and experiences with health service delivery. The study aimed to examine the current health service delivery system, capture citizens’ perspectives on ideal healthcare improvements, and identify specific areas for system enhancement. This study is led by Assoc. Prof. Chum Chandarin.

Research by Faculties