Finding and controlling hidden malaria infections in India
Official title: Center for the Study of Complex Malaria in India
Funded at London Sch/hygiene & Tropical Medicine · NIH-11393237 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This center works with Indian communities to find malaria infections that current tests miss and to improve tools for stopping transmission.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | London Sch/hygiene & Tropical Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (London, United Kingdom) |
| Project start | August 20, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $226,734 |
| NIH project number | 3U19AI181587-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11393237 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) living in the study districts of Odisha, India, especially those with recent fevers or who are part of the community cohort, are the ideal participants.
✕Less likely to help
Children under 21, people living outside the study districts, or those not seen at participating health centers would not directly benefit from enrolling in this project.
What this research studies
From a patient's view, researchers follow adults in three districts of Odisha for several years and collect blood samples and symptom information to find hidden infections. They will also track people who come to district health centers with fevers to see where tests fail and why. The team uses lab assays, antibody and biomarker work, and genomic tools to detect low-level and hard-to-find malaria parasites. The center also supports training and builds local research capacity so Indian programs can use the findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help health workers detect infections current tests miss and reduce ongoing malaria spread in affected communities.
How similar studies have gone: Community cohorts and molecular detection methods have previously found hidden malaria infections in other settings, but combining long-term cohorts, passive clinic surveillance, and biomarker discovery in India is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
London Sch/hygiene & Tropical Medicine
London, United Kingdom Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wassmer, Sam — London Sch/hygiene & Tropical Medicine
- Study coordinator: Wassmer, Sam
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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.