Vientiane Capital, 1ˢᵗ of August 2025 – For the third consecutive year, the Fondation Institut Pasteur du Laos has awarded the Young Researcher Grant Award, an initiative designed to support promising Lao scientists in the development and implementation of innovative research projects.

The selection committee of the Young Researcher Grant Challenge 2025 (YRGC2025) convened on 30ᵗʰ of July 2025 to review the applications received. Following a competitive evaluation process, the committee selected the project proposed by Dr. Tiger Soulaphy of the Medical Entomology Laboratory at IPL.

The awarded project, entitled “Post-release Assessment of Wolbachia Establishment and Dengue Virus Circulation in Field Mosquito Populations in Vientiane, Lao PDR”, will receive funding of €40,000.

The research aims to assess the establishment of Wolbachia within mosquito populations following release interventions and to evaluate its impact on dengue virus circulation. The findings are expected to contribute to ongoing efforts to strengthen vector-borne disease control strategies in Laos.

Through the Young Researcher Grant Award, the Fondation Institut Pasteur du Laos seeks to encourage scientific excellence, foster innovation, and support the next generation of Lao researchers in addressing public health challenges of national and regional importance.