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I was always interested in academic work. I did my first research when I was a houseofficer at Ipoh Hospital. Dato Dr. Siva, who was the head of O&G department then challenged me to do a study on the weight gain of pregnant mothers among the 3 different races in Ipoh GH. I took up the challenge and did a quick survey of the maternal weight gain during my 4 months posting in O&G department. I completed it in time and gave him the report a day before I completed my posting as well as my housemanship training as it was my last posting as a houseman. However, I never manage to publish this paper as I left the hospital soon after, even though it was suggested that I present it at the Perak Scientific Meeting.

My next research work was on Melioidosis which I started immediately after obtaining my MRCP(UK) in 2002. I published it in Malaysian Medical Journal in 2005.

I started my subspeciality training in Rheumatology in 2005 at Selayang Hospital. I spent almost 18 months at Selayang Hospital. I was the first doctor to publish a paper from the Rheumatology unit of Selayang Hospital since its inception in 1999. It was the first data of patients with Systemic Sclerosis from Malaysia.

Upon joining Monash University in 2006, I wrote a review article on Antiphospholipid syndrome which was published in an international journal. This was my first venture into the international scene.

I continued my rheumatology training at Singapore General Hospital under A/Prof Julian Thumboo from March 2007 till August 2008. Here I published 3 more papers in International journal.

Here, I list my publications:

1. L Pagalavan.Melioidosis: The Johor Bahru Experience. Medical Journal of Malaysia Dec 2005; 60(5): 599-605.
2. L Pagalavan, SG Ong. Demography, clinical and laboratory features of Systemic Sclerosis in a Malaysian Rheumatology centre. APLAR Journal of Rheumatology 2006; 9(suppl 1): A229 P154 – conference poster presentation
3. L Pagalavan, SG Ong. Demography, clinical and laboratory features of Systemic Sclerosis in a Malaysian Rheumatology centre. Medical Journal of Malaysia June 2007; 62(2): 117-121.
4. L Pagalavan. Antiphospholipid Syndrome: A systemic and multidisciplinary disease. International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases 2008; 11: 97-104.
5. Pagalavan L, Julian T, Raymond TKM. A patient with progressive shortening of the fingers. The Journal of Rheumatology 2009; 36: 198-199.
6. Pagalavan Letchumanan, HJ Ng, LH Lee, J Thumboo. A Comparison of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in an inception cohort of patients with and without Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases 2008; 11(suppl 1): A345 P2P-04 – conference oral presentation.
7. Pagalavan Letchumanan, Heng-Joo Ng, Lai-Heng Lee, Julian Thumboo. A Comparison of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in an inception cohort of patients with and without Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Rheumatology 2009; 48: 399-403.
8. Tan YK, Pagalavan L, Julian T. Rituximab for Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A report of 3 cases and qualitative systemic review. Annals of Rheumatic Diseases 2009; 68(suppl 3): 743 – conference poster presentation
9. Pagalavan L. Thumboo J. Danazol in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Qualitative Systematic Review. Seminars in Arthritis & Rheumatism 2011; 40(4): 298-306
10. Pagalavan L. Prevalence of Autoantibodies in patients with Active Tuberculosis. APLAR 2010 poster presentation.
11. L Pagalavan, Kan FK. Cerebral Toxoplasmosis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus following intravenous Methylprednisolone. Med J Malaysia; 66(1) March 2011; 68-70