Brain effects of severe malaria in children
Official title: Severe Malaria And Risk to The Brain (SMART Brain)
Funded at Indiana University Indianapolis · NIH-11468727 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how severe malaria affects children's brains and later development after cerebral malaria or severe malarial anemia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Indiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project start | April 15, 2008 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $393,331 |
| NIH project number | 3R01NS055349-18S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11468727 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children in Uganda who have had cerebral malaria or severe malarial anemia, especially infants and young children, would be the ideal participants.
✕Less likely to help
People without a history of severe malaria, adults, or children with neurological problems unrelated to malaria are unlikely to benefit directly from this study.
What this research studies
If your child had cerebral malaria or severe malarial anemia, this project will follow them to learn how the illness affects the brain and later thinking and behavior. Children in Jinja, Uganda will receive brain testing with a mobile MRI and EEG, blood tests for inflammation and kidney and endothelial injury, and regular developmental check-ups. The team will link brain imaging and EEG results with blood markers and developmental outcomes over time to find which brain and body pathways lead to long-term problems. Indiana University is providing the MRI and EEG equipment and training local staff to carry out the tests.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to better ways to predict, prevent, or treat brain injury and developmental delays in children who survive severe malaria.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked blood markers like inflammation and kidney injury to later developmental problems after malaria, but using MRI and EEG to map brain pathways in this setting is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Indiana University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: John, Chandy C. — Indiana University Indianapolis
- Study coordinator: John, Chandy C.
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Severe malaria and brain risk in children
This grant studies how severe malaria in young children can affect brain development and long-term thinking and behavior, with a focus on kids in Uganda.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.