Identifying immune responses to malaria for better vaccine design
Official title: Synthesizing immunoinformatics and genetic epidemiology to identify signatures of natural functional immunity to malaria parasites
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11019757 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how being naturally exposed to malaria affects children's immune systems and aims to find out which immune responses can help create better malaria vaccines, especially in places where there are many different types of the parasite.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $120,065 |
| NIH project number | 5K01AI175527-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11019757 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 0-11 years living in malaria-endemic areas.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not children or those living in non-endemic regions may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how natural exposure to malaria parasites influences the immune system's ability to protect against the disease. By studying a consistent group of children over several years, the researchers will analyze how different variants of malaria proteins affect immune responses. The goal is to identify specific immune signatures that can inform the development of more effective malaria vaccines, particularly in areas with high parasite diversity. This approach combines advanced immunoinformatics and genetic epidemiology to enhance our understanding of immunity to malaria.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to the development of more effective malaria vaccines that provide better protection for children in endemic regions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in understanding immune responses to malaria, but this approach is innovative in its focus on polymorphic antigens and longitudinal data collection.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Markwalter, Christine — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Markwalter, Christine
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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.