Sebastian Chakrit Punyaratabandhu Bhakdi

The mastermind behind single-cell diagnostics and a firm advocate of health equity, Dr Sebastian Chakrit Punyaratabandhu Bhakdi studied at one of the world’s oldest and most renowned medical schools, the University of Freiburg (Germany). As a medical student, he took internships in Bangkok (Thailand), Lahti (Finland), Skopje (Macedonia), Nairobi (Kenya) and New York (USA), which drew his attention to health service accessibility and inequality early on.

After graduating with dissertation magna cum laude, the classically trained musician went on to work in paediatrics and emergency medicine before earning a postgraduate master’s degree in international health and tropical medicine at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. While still in Barcelona, he won a malaria research fellowship from the German Research Foundation and was subsequently invited to join the Department of Pathobiology at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand.

Soon after, Dr Bhakdi set up X-ZELL, which has allowed the father of three to follow his entrepreneurial aspirations while pursuing his passion for improving access to quality health care worldwide.