Population Biology of African Malaria Vectors and Parasites

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Project Summary Malaria remains the most devastating vector-borne disease in Africa. The primary interventions, insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying, target indoor-biting mosquitoes. However, the effectiveness of these tools has been significantly hindered by the spread of insecticide resistance and the increasing tendency of malaria vectors to bite outdoors, slowing malaria control progress across Africa. Additionally, the recent invasion of Anopheles stephensi, a major malaria vector in South Asian urban environments, presents a new and significant threat to malaria control efforts in Africa. This invasion, along with rapid urbanization on the continent, has created additional challenges for malaria control in Africa. To address these challenges, it is essential to understand the biology of An. stephensi in its newly-invaded African habitats, its impact on malaria epidemiology, and to develop new vector control methods suited to urban environments. Advances in molecular biology, genomics, bioinformatics, and ecological modeling offer exciting opportunities to track and contain the spread of An. stephensi and develop new control methods in rapidly growing urban areas. Unfortunately, many scientists from malaria-endemic countries have not fully leveraged these technologies in their research. In previous funding cycles, our D43 research training program has achieved remarkable success in training African scientists in vector biology and malaria research. However, significant gaps remain, particularly in the research capacity for invasive vector species in Ethiopia and other African countries. Accordingly, the overall training objectives are to advance the career development of promising young scientists from An. stephensi-infested African countries, strengthen institutional research capacity in invasive disease vectors and promote sustainability among malaria researchers in Ethiopia. We plan to achieve this by training ten PhD students, four postdoctoral fellows and 20 junior scientists from these regions through mentored research in vector biology and malaria epidemiology, and through workshops and short and intensive training courses on grant writing and scientific leadership development. In addition to mentored research, the program will offer a core curriculum focusing on biostatistics, genomics, bioinformatics, modeling, scientific writing, and responsible conduct of research. The infrastructure and capacity at our international training sites in Ethiopia and at the University of California, Irvine, are ideal for this training. This program will significantly enhance institutional research capacity in invasive disease vectors and malaria in Ethiopia and aid the career development of African scientists by bridging laboratory and field research in vector biology and malaria epidemiology, enabling researchers with innovative technologies, fostering Africa-wide and international collaborations, and supporting them to become independent scientists.