Professor Guy Thwaites
Podcast interview
Tuberculosis meningitis

Tuberculosis meningitis affects a fractions of TB patients but causes high levels of mortality and morbidity. A recent trial at OUCRU showed that aspirin can greatly improve outcomes. Such trial is typical of the work done in our Vietnam units, where all the research is focussed on improving the outcome for patients directly.
Research groups
Colleges
Guy Thwaites
Professor of Infectious Diseases
- Director of Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), Vietnam
OUCRU Vietnam
Guy Thwaites is an academic infectious diseases physician and clinical microbiologist. He has been Director of the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit/Wellcome Programme in Vietnam since October 2013. He is responsible for the scientific strategy of the programme, with its major research themes of emerging viral infections, dengue, brain infections, tuberculosis, malaria, enteric infections, antimicrobial drug resistance and care of the critically ill.
His personal research interests focus on severe bacterial infections, including meningitis and Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection, and tuberculosis. He has a longstanding research interest in the diagnosis, treatment and pathophysiology of tuberculous meningitis. Much of his research has been centred on large, pragmatic, randomized controlled trials which have addressed questions of key clinical importance, but have also provided the framework for providing unique insights into disease pathogenesis, antimicrobial pharmacology, and host and bacterial genetics.
Recent publications
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Fatal Mycobacterium avium meningitis in an HIV-negative Vietnamese man: a case report
Journal article
Nguyen VT. et al, (2025), Journal of Medical Case Reports, 19
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Molnupiravir or nirmatrelvir–ritonavir plus usual care versus usual care alone in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial
Journal article
Abani O. et al, (2025), The Lancet Infectious Diseases
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Effectiveness and safety of shortened intensive treatment for children with tuberculous meningitis (SURE): a protocol for a phase 3 randomised controlled trial evaluating 6 months of antituberculosis therapy and 8 weeks of aspirin in Asian and African children with tuberculous meningitis
Journal article
Huynh J. et al, (2025), BMJ Open, 15, e088543 - e088543
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A modified decontamination and storage method for sputum from patients with tuberculosis
Journal article
Le Quang N. et al, (2025), Wellcome Open Research, 8, 166 - 166
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Statistical analysis plan for the LAST ACT clinical trial; a Leukotriene A4 hydrolase Stratified non-inferiority Trial of Adjunctive Corticosteroids for HIV-negative adults with Tuberculous meningitis
Journal article
Donovan J. et al, (2025), Wellcome Open Research, 9, 695 - 695