Background

Fiona completed her PhD at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, with Professor Jake Baum in 2015. Her research focused on investigating the way in which Plasmodium parasites move, both into the red blood cell during the process of invasion, and through the mosquito midgut during the process of transmission.

After her PhD, Fiona completed a 4 year post-doctoral position at Imperial College London and Cambridge University with Dr Andrew Blagborough. During this time, her research focus shifted to incorporate a more translational emphasis, with the overall aim of identifying and developing anti-malarial transmission blocking vaccines.

There is currently a huge gap between demand and supply of preventative and control instruments for malaria. Fiona’s key interests involve the discovery of multiple new anti-malarial vaccine antigen candidates, the establishment of new delivery systems, and the design of multiple pre-clinical and clinical studies to assess vaccine effectiveness.

Appointments

• 2018 – ongoing: Human Infection Challenge Network for Vaccine Development
• 2014 – ongoing: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
• 2013 – ongoing: Australian Society for Parasitology
• 2018 – 2019: Imperial College Malaria Network
• 2018 – 2019: Imperial College Representative Network for DoLS
• 2017 – 2019: Imperial College DoLS Post-doctoral representative

Positions

• 2019: Research Associate, University of Cambridge
• 2015: Research Associate, Imperial College London
• 2008: Research Technician, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

Qualifications

• 2015: Doctorate of Philosophy, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
• 2008: Honours Biochemistry, La Trobe University
• 2007: Bachelor of Biological Sciences, La Trobe University

Awards

• 2019: Junior Research Grant Isaac Newton Trust/Wellcome Trust ISSF/University of Cambridge
• 2018: Imperial Joint Translation Fund Award MRC/NIHRBRC/NHS/Wellcome/ESPRC
• 2017: Imperial College PDFC Rep Team Award
• 2017: Imperial College DoLS Travel Award
• 2016: Imperial College Confidence in Concept Award Imperial/ICR/NIHR BRC/NHS/MRC
• 2014: Young Investigator Award American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
• 2014: OzEMalaR Travel Award
• 2014: Australian Society for Parasitology Travel Award
• 2013: Graduate of the Year Finalist, Melbourne University
• 2010: OzEMalaR Travel award

Projects (1)

Current (1)

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  STRIVE PNG: Stronger Surveillance and Systems Support for Rapid Identification and Containment of Resurgent or Resistant Vector-Borne Pathogens in Papua New Guinea

Publications (5)

2019 (1)

• Male-Specific Protein Disulphide Isomerase Function is Essential for Plasmodium Transmission and a Vulnerable Target for Intervention.
  Fiona Angrisano, Katarzyna A Sala, Sofia Tapanelli, George K Christophides, Andrew M Blagborough
  Sci Rep. 2019 Dec; 9(1):18300

2018 (2)

• Synergy in anti-malarial pre-erythrocytic and transmission-blocking antibodies is achieved by reducing parasite density.
  Ellie Sherrard-Smith, Katarzyna A Sala, Michael Betancourt, Leanna M Upton, Fiona Angrisano, Merribeth J Morin, Azra C Ghani, Thomas S Churcher, Andrew M Blagborough
  Elife. 2018 Jun; 7:e35213
• Immunization with Transgenic Rodent Malaria Parasites Expressing Pfs25 Induces Potent Transmission-Blocking Activity.
  K A Sala, F Angrisano, D F Da, I J Taylor, T S Churcher, A M Blagborough
  Sci Rep. 2018 Jan; 8(1):1573

2017 (2)

• Targeting the Conserved Fusion Loop of HAP2 Inhibits the Transmission of Plasmodium berghei and falciparum.
  Fiona Angrisano, Katarzyna A Sala, Dari F Da, Yanjie Liu, Jimin Pei, Nick V Grishin, William J Snell, Andrew M Blagborough
  Cell Rep. 2017 Dec; 21(10):2868-2878
• Probability of Transmission of Malaria from Mosquito to Human Is Regulated by Mosquito Parasite Density in Naive and Vaccinated Hosts.
  Thomas S Churcher, Robert E Sinden, Nick J Edwards, Ian D Poulton, Thomas W Rampling, Patrick M Brock, Jamie T Griffin, Leanna M Upton, Sara E Zakutansky, Katarzyna A Sala, Fiona Angrisano, Adrian V S Hill, Andrew M Blagborough
  PLoS Pathog. 2017 Jan; 13(1):e1006108