Dr. Daibin Zhong Leads Grant Program to Study Dynamic Malaria Landscapes and Vector Biology
In a boost to malaria research in Southeast Asia (SEA), a grant of more than $1.25 million has been awarded to Daibin Zhong, PhD, associate project scientist of population health and disease prevention and a member of the Yan Lab at UC Irvine Wen School of Population and Public Health, to study the changing landscape of human and zoonotic malaria in this region.
The award is part of a five-year, $4 million grant given to Mahidol University in Thailand. Zhong will collaborate with Dr. Jetsumon Prachumsri, the primary researcher in Thailand and the Southeast Asia lead of the International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research (ICEMR) program, which is a global network of independent research centers organized by the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases.
Zhong leads Project Two of this research program that features two different projects that seek to understand the underlying relationship between malaria and epidemiology and vector biology in Southeast Asia.
As a result of modifications to the environment and human factors, the epidemiology of malaria in SEA is very dynamic and rapidly changing with several unique challenges affecting countries’ efforts to eradicate malaria. Additionally, the emergence and rapid spread of human P. knowlesi, a malaria causing parasite, infections in Malaysia and Thailand pose serious public health concerns that warrant research to inform mitigation and elimination efforts.
The program’s primary goal is to comprehend the intricate interplay between malaria epidemiology and vector biology in SEA, with a particular emphasis on the dynamics of human and zoonotic malaria transmission, to inform strategies for malaria elimination.”
– Zhong, PhD
Selected research sites across Thailand and Malaysia will encompass diverse landscapes and malaria transmission patterns that would aid in this research initiative. The research project is composed of two interdependent projects that will run concurrently.
Project One will focus on malaria surveillance in Thailand and Malaysia, while also performing population genetics analyses of plasmodium parasites. On the other hand, Project Two will take charge of vectorial systems and other ecological investigations in the field sites, conducting population genetics analyses of Anopheles mosquitoes to determine the effects of environmental changes on vector population structure, vector-parasite interactions, and vector competence for Plasmodium infection. This project will also examine the mechanisms of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes and test their response against spatial repellents to evaluate the efficacy of auto-dissemination techniques for mosquito control.
“The outcomes of this program will inform policy decisions related to malaria control and elimination, ultimately contributing to efforts to reduce the burden of this disease in the region,” Zhong added.
The ICEMR features a diverse team of research experts from Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, and the United States who strive to solve the problems of border malaria and zoonotic malaria that are relevant to both regional and global malaria elimination. Additional collaborating Institutions of this program include the University of Malaya and Ehime University in Japan.
