Direk Limmathurotsakul awarded the 2026 UNESCO-Carlos J. Finlay Prize for Microbiology

Recognized for pioneering research on melioidosis and antimicrobial resistance, the Thai scientist, Dr Limmathurotsakul has transformed how microbiological evidence informs public health policy and saves lives.

Dr Direk Limmathurotsakul has been awarded the 2026 UNESCO-Carlos J. Finlay Prize for Microbiology, established to honour scientists for outstanding contributions to microbiology and its applications. He is recognized for pioneering research on melioidosis and antimicrobial-resistant infections, and for connecting microbiological evidence with health systems to inform local, national and international action against neglected bacterial diseases and antimicrobial-resistant infections. 

His approach includes improvement of surveillance, diagnosis, treatment and prevention; focusing on both science and service; and working closely with healthcare workers and policy makers who turn evidence into action.

"Science can reveal the truth, but only service can act on it. We need both." - Dr Direk Limmathurotsakul

Making an invisible disease visible

Dr Limmathurotsakul works on melioidosis, a frequently fatal infection caused by a soil- and water-dwelling bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei. Although it is estimated to cause tens of thousands of deaths worldwide each year, the disease remains largely overlooked and is not included on the World Health Organization's list of neglected tropical diseases.

Through extensive analysis of microbiological and hospital admission data from 110 public hospitals across Thailand, he demonstrated that melioidosis causes more than 4,400 illnesses and over 1,200 deaths annually in the country. His landmark global study later estimated that the disease affects approximately 165,000 people and causes around 89,000 deaths each year worldwide, while revealing its presence in dozens of countries where it had never previously been reported. He has also shown that working in rice fields without protective gears, and drinking contaminated water are important causes of infections among farmers across tropical developing countries. 

To help translate these findings into action, he developed an open-access interactive global map that has become a key resource for researchers, clinicians and policymakers worldwide.

Turning local data into local action

Dr Limmathurotsakul has also made major contributions to tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the greatest threats to global health. Guided by the principle of "local data for local action", he developed AMASS, a free and user-friendly software platform that enables hospitals to analyse their own microbiology and hospital admission data and generate antimicrobial resistance surveillance reports without specialist training required or transferring sensitive patient information.

By allowing hospitals to understand the burden of antimicrobial-resistant infections within their own settings, the tool supports better clinical decisions while enabling national authorities to identify surveillance gaps, strengthen monitoring systems and target public health interventions more effectively.

From scientific evidence to public policy

The ultimate aim of Dr Limmathurotsakul's work is to make the true scale of deadly and antimicrobial-resistant infections visible so that hospitals and governments can make evidence-informed decisions that save lives. The barriers to achieving it, he has shown, run far deeper than any lack of capacity or expertise. His recommendations extend beyond laboratory capacity to include strengthening routine microbiological testing, improving clinical practice, reforming regulatory incentives and supporting hospitals through sustainable financing mechanisms.

His influence reaches well beyond the laboratory. Working hand in hand with Thailand's Ministry of Public Health and more than one hundred hospitals, he has driven lasting changes to national policy on both melioidosis and antimicrobial resistance. His tools and methods are now being adopted by hospitals in other countries, including Cambodia, India and Indonesia, helping more communities turn their own data into action against the infections that threaten them most.

About the Prize

The UNESCO-Carlos J. Finlay Prize for Microbiology rewards the efforts of an individual, or of an institution, non-governmental organization or other entity which, through research and development, has made an outstanding contribution to the field of microbiology and its applications. Through this prize, the Government of Cuba and UNESCO aim to encourage research and development in microbiology. The prize-winner receives a financial award of 10,000 USD as well as a certificate.

More information

UNESCO-Carlos J. Finlay Prize for Microbiology

Get to know the previous Prize laureates

Learn about UNESCO’s expertise in basic sciences

Originally Published by UNESCO