Professor Sengchanh Kounnavong is a pioneering public health researcher with nearly 40 years of experience in maternal and child health, nutrition, and health systems research in Laos and internationally. As one of Laos’ foremost female leaders in medical science, she served as Director of the National Institute of Public Health—now the Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute (TPHI)—from 2017 to 2021. Under her leadership, TPHI became the country’s premier health research institution.

Since joining the institute in 1999, Professor Kounnavong has led initiatives that advanced research in maternal and child health, infectious diseases, and health equity in rural communities. She has overseen hundreds of grants and millions of dollars in research funding, collaborating with global institutions such as UC Davis, Nagasaki University, Karolinska Institute, and the Burnet Institute. Her extensive publication record includes over 100 articles contributing to health systems strengthening and access to care in underserved areas.

Deeply committed to capacity building, she has mentored countless Lao postgraduate students and helped develop public health curricula in Lao PDR. Her work has empowered a new generation of Lao scientists—especially women—by grounding research in culturally relevant, locally driven approaches that address the nation’s most pressing health needs.