Email kartika@nus.edu.sg

I am a clinician by training with experience in tropical medicine and global health research. I am interested in addressing research questions that can generate impactful knowledge for resource limited settings. My research interests include neglected tropical diseases e.g. rickettsial diseases (scrub typhus, murine typhus, spotted fever group rickettsia) and arboviral diseases (dengue, Japanese encephalitis). At NUS, my research focuses on applying mathematical modelling techniques to analyse serology data of tropical diseases, including scrub typhus and murine typhus. Additionally, I aim to evaluate the impact of vaccination in mitigating dengue and Japanese encephalitis. 

• NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health
• Oxford University Clinical Research Unit Indonesia

• Infectious diseases
• Tropical medicine
• Global health
• Neglected tropical diseases
• Rickettsial diseases
• Infectious disease modelling
• Evidence synthesis

• Bachelor in Medicine and Medical Doctor, Universitas Udayana, Bali, Indonesia (2012)
• MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK (2016)
• Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Royal College of Physicians, London, UK (2016)
• DPhil in Clinical Medicine (Tropical Medicine and Global Health), University of Oxford (2022)

• Research physician, Biorisk and Zoonosis group, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand (2022-2023)
• Research physician, Clinical Infectious Diseases group, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit Indonesia (2022-2023)
• Interim director, Wisma Prashanti General Hospital, Bali, Indonesia (2023)
• Research physician, Biorisk and Zoonosis group, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand (2016-2017)
• Physician, head of Family Medicine Department, BIMC Hospital Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia (2013-2015)
• Physician, Seririt I Community Health Centre and Buleleng General Hospital, Bali, Indonesia (2012-2013)

• SG Academies South-East Asia Fellowship (SASEAF)

• Saraswati, K., Tanganuchitcharnchai, A., Ongchaikupt, S., Mukaka, M., Day, N. P. J., Baird, J. K., Antonjaya, U., Myint, K. S. A., Dewi, Y. P., Yudhaputri, F. A., Haryanto, S., Witari, N. P. D., & Blacksell, S. D. (2024). Scrub typhus in Indonesia: A cross-sectional analysis of archived fever studies samples. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, trad094. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/trad094
• Saraswati, K., Elliott, I., Day, N. P. J., Baird, J. K., Blacksell, S. D., Ristiyanto, & Moyes, C. L. (2023). Geographical distribution of scrub typhus and risk of Orientia tsutsugamushi infection in Indonesia: Evidence mapping. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 17(9), e0011412. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011412
• Saraswati, K., Maguire, B. J., McLean, A. R. D., Singh-Phulgenda, S., Ngu, R. C., Newton, P. N., Day, N. P. J., & Guérin, P. J. (2021). Systematic review of the scrub typhus treatment landscape: Assessing the feasibility of an individual participant-level data (IPD) platform. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 15(10), e0009858. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009858
• Surendra, H., Elyazar, I. R., Djaafara, B. A., Ekawati, L. L., Saraswati, K., Adrian, V., Widyastuti, Oktavia, D., Salama, N., Lina, R. N., Andrianto, A., Lestari, K. D., Burhan, E., Shankar, A. H., Thwaites, G., Baird, J. K., & Hamers, R. L. (2021). Clinical characteristics and mortality associated with COVID-19 in Jakarta, Indonesia: A hospital-based retrospective cohort study. The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific, 9, 100108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2021.100108
• Saraswati, K., Sichanh, C., Newton, P. N., & Caillet, C. (2019). Quality of medical products for diabetes management: a systematic review. BMJ global health, 4(5), e001636. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001636
• Saraswati, K., Phanichkrivalkosil, M., Day, N. P. J., & Blacksell, S. D. (2019). The validity of diagnostic cut-offs for commercial and in-house scrub typhus IgM and IgG ELISAs: A review of the evidence. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 13(2), e0007158. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007158
• Saraswati, K., Day, N. P. J., Mukaka, M., & Blacksell, S. D. (2018). Scrub typhus point-of-care testing: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 12(3), e0006330. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006330