Impact of malaria vector diversity on intervention strategies

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PROJECT SUMMARY The burden of malaria in Malawi is among the highest in the world despite increasing coverage of standard interventions over the last two decades. One factor that contributes to continued parasite transmission is the diversity of malaria vectors, yet important aspects of this diversity remain poorly characterized. The Principal Investigator, Dr. Robert McCann, is a vector biologist in the Malaria Research Program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He will use a combination of field and laboratory data together with advanced computational methods to address these gaps through three specific aims. Aim 1 will characterize vector competence in Anopheles funestus and Anopheles arabiensis, the two dominant malaria vector species in Malawi, using experimental membrane feeding assays with field-collected An. funestus and An. arabiensis. Aim 2 will assess the impact of species-level variation in vector competence on malaria intervention effectiveness using an agent-based stochastic model to compare malaria intervention effectiveness under scenarios with a range of variation in mosquito susceptibility to P. falciparum infection. Aim 3 will determine the relationship between geographic proximity and genetic relatedness for malaria vectors in Africa using geospatially informed bioinformatics tools to estimate migration patterns of malaria vectors. The results from these studies will improve our understanding of the persistence of malaria parasite transmission. Dr. McCann’s goal is to become an independent investigator in vector ecology, while maintaining the strong interdisciplinary collaborations necessary to make advancements in malaria intervention design, implementation, and evaluation. Towards this goal, he proposes a comprehensive career development plan that will enhance his existing skills in malaria vector ecology while providing mentored training in 1) experimental infection assays, 2) agent-based infectious disease modeling, 3) spatially explicit genetic and genomic analyses, and 4) professional development with a special focus on leading international research. Dr. McCann has assembled a highly accomplished and multidisciplinary team of mentors and collaborators with unique areas of expertise including global health research, malaria transmission, vector biology, genomics and bioinformatics, population genetics, infectious disease modeling and geospatial science. His mentors also have a track record of successfully mentoring trainees and junior faculty and strong connections with malaria policy stakeholders. The University of Maryland School of Medicine and The Malaria Alert Center in Malawi will together provide the ideal environment for Dr. McCann to establish a research niche addressing critical gaps in knowledge about malaria vector biology that will lead to improved malaria control in Malawi and other malaria-endemic countries.