Cellular and Molecular Biology of Malaria Parasites

Malaria remains an important global health problem; with increasing drug resistance and the lack of an effective vaccine, new therapies are needed and should be based on a rigorous understanding of parasite biology. Our NIAID lab has used a multidisciplinary approach to discover and characterize the three known ion channels in bloodstream malaria parasites. Through academic and pharmaceutical collaborations, we have also found potent inhibitors that are being pursued as new antimalarial drugs. Research projects will be tailored to the interests of the trainee and expertise available in possible collaborator labs. These projects may utilize molecular biology including CRISPR and heterologous expression, structural biology including cryoEM, biochemical methods including electrophysiology, epigenetics, and high-throughput screening for drug discovery.  These and other methods are actively used in the lab. Dr. Desai has collaborators at Oxford, Cambridge, and Wellcome Sanger, depending on project.