Makoto Saito is an infectious disease physician and clinical epidemiologist. He is currently the Head of AMR disease theme, Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO) at the University of Oxford. Over the past several years, he has dedicated his work to evidence synthesis, particularly in areas where data is scarce, using a methodology called individual patient data meta-analysis. His previous work has demonstrated the safety and efficacy of antimalarials in pregnancy, supporting the revision of the World Health Organization’s malaria treatment guidelines to recommend artemether-lumefantrine for pregnant women in their first trimester.
His research interests broadly encompass the epidemiology of clinical infectious diseases, including nosocomial bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Currently, his research focuses on evidence synthesis related to AMR, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, to support evidence-based actions against AMR where data is limited.