FIRE welcomed Dr. Mandakhnaran Davaadorj (Manda), M.D., Ph.D., as our new Program Director in Mongolia on September 15. Manda joined FIRE’s team after consulting at the World Health Organization (WHO) local office in Mongolia.
Dr. Mandakhnaran Davaadorj is an experienced medical professional with a robust clinical practice and research background. He earned his M.D. and B.A. in Medicine from Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences. He further advanced his expertise with a Ph.D. in Medicine from the University of Tokushima in Japan. His doctoral research focused on cancer studies, specifically on the prognostic implications of Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 1 in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
Dr. Davaadorj’s career includes significant roles in both clinical and research settings. He has served as a resident in general surgery. He has held consultant positions with the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Mongolia, where he has contributed to immunization programs and emergency health responses. His work with WHO involved technical support for vaccination initiatives and health emergency programs, including COVID-19 response efforts. His research experience extends to a postdoctoral visiting fellowship at the National Institute on Aging in the U.S., where he participated in neuroscience research. Dr. Davaadorj’s work has been published in reputable journals, and he received several scholarships in Japan for his research contributions.
Dr. Manda is replacing Dr. Munkhnasan Myagmarjav. Munkhnasan joined FIRE in 2011 as a Program Coordinator and served as Program Director from 2016 to 2024. We are grateful for Munkhnasan’s commitment, vision, and unique skills. She was invaluable in shaping and developing FIRE’s current programs, especially Hepatitis-Free Mongolia. Her extensive effort to build our patient registry for Sukhbaatar province with 44,000 people was remarkable. She will be tremendously missed. We wish her the very best in her future adventures and welcome the opportunity to work with Munkhnsasan again on future projects.
