Overview

The group participates in numerous population studies in malaria-endemic countries, such as Kenya, Papua New Guinea and Thailand, through collaborations with national research institutes based in those countries.

The group centres on malaria immuno-epidemiology and focuses on developing and utilising immunological biomarkers for vaccine trials, disease surveillance and evaluating the impact of interventions for malaria.

Image: Malaria endemic area of PNG

Objectives

• To evaluate the impact of population immunity of the efficacy of malaria interventions and evaluating the impact of intervention programs on host immunity and patterns of disease
• To develop sero-markers for population studies to define malaria exposure and transmission intensity
• To understand the dynamics of naturally acquired immunity in children and pregnant women and how they relate to patterns of disease.

Projects

• Effectiveness of repellent on malaria incidence in SE Myanmar
  A project to determine whether repellent delivered by volunteers will reduce malaria incidence.
• Evaluation of Malaria Case-Based Reporting using a mobile phone application in Myanmar
  Evaluating the effectiveness of a mobile phone-based application to improve the reporting and surveillance of malaria in Myanmar
• Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies
  A collaborative research program aimed at providing life-saving health care for women and children in PNG.
• HMHB: The impact of nutrition, malaria and STIs on pregnant women and infants
  Determining the major preventable causes of poor maternal health and low birth weight of babies in PNG.
• Host and parasite factors that predict Artemisinin Resistance reservoirs
  Understanding how population immunity seeds transmission of malaria infectious reservoirs, including drug resistant parasites
• Immunity to malaria and infectious diseases during pregnancy
  How are pregnant women affected by infectious diseases such as malaria?
• Immunity, drug efficacy and spread of antimalarial drug resistance
  Identifying immune biomarkers to predict antimalarial efficacy is essential.
• Impact of declining transmission on immunity and risk of malaria rebound
  As malaria transmission falls, it is critical to understand how changing immunity affects risk of malaria.
• IMSA: Improving SRH knowledge among young people in Magwey, Myanmar
  This formative study provides evidence of current knowledge and attitudes among adolescents.
• Optimal community-delivered malaria elimination models for the Greater Mekong Sub-region
  Developing an elimination model that is acceptable, operational, and cost-effective across GMS countries
• Serological surveillance to identify mosquito exposure and malaria transmission
  Identifying and understanding “hot spots” and “hot pops” of malaria transmission are crucial to target interventions for elimination.
• Stronger Surveillance and Systems Support for Rapid Identification and Containment of Resurgent or Resistant Vector Borne Pathogens in Papua New Guinea: STRIVE PNG
  STRIVE PNG is a three-year DFAT Centre for Health Security-funded project centred on strengthening surveillance and response for vector-borne pathogens in Papua New Guinea.