Dr Zuleima Pava
Senior Research Officer
Working groups
Background
Zuleima completed her PhD at the Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, in 2017 under the supervision of Dr Jutta Marfurt, Dr Sarah Auburn and Professor Ric Price. Her doctoral research focused on developing high-throughput genomic surveillance tools to support malaria control and elimination programs. She subsequently worked in the McCarthy lab at QIMR Berghofer and the Barry lab at Burnet Institute, applying genetic, genomic, and experimental approaches to study antimalarial drug effects, and the dynamics between parasite genetic diversity, the host immune response and asymptomatic malaria.
Zuleima joined the Boyle lab at Burnet in 2022, where she provides bioinformatic and multi-omics support across projects, working closely with researchers to analyse and interpret the human immune response to malaria.
Qualifications
- 2023–present: Graduate Diploma of Biostatistics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- 2012–2017: PhD, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
- 2010–2011: Master of Epidemiology, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Pedro Kourí, La Habana, Cuba
- 2002–2007: Bachelor of Science, Bacteriology and Clinical Laboratory, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
Positions
- 2025–present: Senior Research Officer, Burnet Institute
- 2022–2024: Research Officer, Burnet Institute
- 2020–2021: Research Officer, Burnet Institute
- 2017–2020: Research Officer, QIMR Berghofer
- 2007–2010: Research assistant – Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Medicas (CIDEIM), Colombia
Awards
- 2019: Seed Grant, Centre for Research Excellence on Malaria Elimination (ACREME)
- 2017: Travel Award, International Conference on Plasmodium vivax Research
- 2013: Menzies Enhanced Living Scholarship, Menzies School of Health Research
- 2010: National Program of Scholarships for Postgraduate Studies, Francisco Jose de Caldas, Colombian Government
- 2008: Young Investigator Research Award, Colombian Government Research Council and the International Centre for Medical Research and Training, Colombia.
Burnet publications
View 1 moreTfh2 and a subset of Tfh1 cells associate with antibody-mediated immunity to malaria
JCI Insight
Megan S. F. Soon et al
Age is an intrinsic driver of inflammatory responses to malaria
Nature Communications
Jessica R. Loughland et al
The transcriptome of circulating sexually committed Plasmodium falciparum ring stage parasites forecasts malaria transmission potential
Nature Communications
Zuleima Pava
Current projects
View 1 more
Impact of malaria and other host factors on COVID-19 immune responses following infection and vaccination
Understanding immune development to the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) in areas of high malaria transmission will inform future COVID-19 control strategies and underlying immune development.
Malaria immune development in spleen germinal centres in human infection
We're researching spleen samples collected from individuals with a current or prior malaria infection in Indonesia.
Host directed therapy to boost protective immunity to malaria
Understanding immune development in this unique clinical trial will help us develop approaches to boost protective immunity to malaria, leading to novel therapeutics.