Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cherdchai Phosri

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cherdchai Phosri (CP) received a Royal Thai Government Scholarship and pursued his postgraduate studies at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), where he worked under the supervision of Professor Anthony Whalley and collaborated externally with Professor Roy Watling from the Royal Botanic Gardens. 

He completed his Ph.D. in 2004, with a thesis titled “The Characterization and Development of Tropical Gasteromycete Fungi in Ectomycorrhizal Associations,” which was recognized by the Research Council of Thailand in 2009 as an exemplary work. His research laid the foundation for ongoing studies in Thailand and Southeast Asia and led to the creation of a dynamic research group at Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University (PSRU) in Phitsanulok, Thailand. 

CP has built strong international collaborations with prominent researchers from countries such as Estonia, Japan, Spain, the UK, and the USA. His research has resulted in numerous publications, including one in the journal Science, which highlighted the global diversity of soil fungi. CP later moved to Nakhon Phanom University (NPU), located along the Mekong River in northeastern Thailand, where he continued his research and established related academic programme. 

With over 20 years of experience in microbiology, CP’s main research interests focus on the interactions between plants and the rhizosphere microbiome, with the aim of developing inoculum/biostimulants for practical use in agriculture and forestry. His international reputation led to his appointment as the Dean of Science at NPU, where he is tasked with advancing science education in Thailand’s upper northeast region, particularly in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB).