Tey Putita OU, a Research Assistant Biologist at the Virology Unit of the Institute Pasteur du Cambodge and a final-year Ph.D. student at the University of Montpellier, successfully defended her thesis on “Characterization and control of emerging viral diseases in Cambodia: insights from bat coronaviruses and chikungunya virus” on October 8, 2025. Her work was co-supervised by Dr. Julien Cappelle, Dr. Veasna Duong, and Dr. Etienne Simon-Lorière.

Putita expresses her deep gratitude to her co-supervisors and members of her jury committee: Prof. Bruno COUTARD, Dr. Tineke CANTAERT, Dr. Supaporn WACHARAPLUESADEE, and Dr. Laurent DACHEUX. Their invaluable support, thoughtful questions, and constructive feedback were crucial to her academic journey.

She is also thankful to Prof. André Spiegel, Director of the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, and Dr. Erik A. Karlsson, Head of the Virology Unit, for their enormous support. Special thanks go to the thesis committee members, Dr. Sébastien PUECHMAILLE, Dr. Arnaud BATAILLE, and Dr. Meriadeg LE GOUIL, as well as thesis co-supervisor, Dr. Etienne LOIRE, for their scientific advice and insights.

Putita extends her gratitude to her colleagues at the IPC’s Virology Unit and the GEVA lab at IP-Paris, as well as to everyone at Cirad and the University of Montpellier for their support during her PhD journey. She sincerely thanks the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of Cambodia, the Ambassade de France au Cambodge, the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, and the several projects for funding her PhD program. Above all, she appreciates the loving support of her family, relatives, and friends, which made her achievements possible.

Through her research, Putita has gained expertise in bioinformatics and laboratory techniques, which will enhance the capabilities of the Virology Unit at IPC and contribute to health education in Cambodia. She looks forward to applying her knowledge to better assess and respond to emerging infectious disease outbreaks in the region.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to her academic and professional success.