Watcharapong Piyaphanee, M.D., Dip Thai Board of Internal Medicine, Dip Travel Medicine (Thai Board), and Dip Travel Medicine (Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow), is an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine at the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University in Bangkok. He earned his Doctor of Medicine and a Diploma in Clinical Science from Mahidol University. Holding advanced qualifications in travel and preventive medicine, he also holds a Certificate in Travel Health from the International Society of Travel Medicine.

With over seventeen years of experience in tropical and travel medicine, Dr. Piyaphanee co-founded the world’s only residency training program in Travel Medicine, which is unique in its comprehensive design. He serves as the Site Director for the GeoSentinel Surveillance Network in Bangkok, where he leads key surveillance efforts related to global travel-related illnesses. His clinical work includes pre-travel consultation and care of patients and international travelers at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Bangkok. He is deeply involved in the academic delivery of the Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (DTM&H), the Master’s in Clinical Tropical Medicine (MCTM), and the residency training programs in travel medicine.

Dr. Piyaphanee has made significant contributions to research in tropical and travel medicine, with over fifty publications listed in PubMed. His recent work includes studies on dengue virus seropositivity in expatriate populations and the epidemiology of delayed-onset Plasmodium ovale malaria among returning travelers. His expertise spans rabies, malaria, travel-related infectious diseases, tourism-related health risks, and vaccine-preventable illnesses, underscoring his leadership at the intersection of preventive, clinical, and global health in tropical contexts.