Malaria Reservoir Study II: reducing parasite diversity to help eliminate malaria
Official title: Malaria Reservoir Study (MRS) II: reducing parasite diversity to break intervention resilience in Plasmodium falciparum populations at high endemicity
Funded at New York University · NIH-11494914 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study in West Africa aims to see if lowering the variety of malaria parasite strains can make elimination efforts more effective for communities living in high-transmission areas.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $161,973 |
| NIH project number | 3R01TW013268-01S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11494914 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are residents of northern Ghana in areas with ongoing malaria control measures, spanning all ages but with emphasis on school-age children and adults who carry asymptomatic infections.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals who do not live in high-transmission areas or who do not carry asymptomatic infections may not directly benefit from the findings.
What this research studies
This project focuses on Plasmodium falciparum in Ghana to understand how many different parasite strains persist as transmission declines. Researchers will collect detailed, longitudinal data and use new molecular tools to track strain diversity and infection patterns over time. The goal is to see if reducing antigenic diversity makes it harder for the parasite to rebound, informing future malaria elimination strategies. The study is carried out by NYU scientists led by Mercedes Pascual and will inform health efforts that could reduce malaria burden for people in sub-Saharan Africa and potentially improve global health security.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could guide targeted interventions that hasten malaria elimination and reduce disease burden for communities in high-endemic regions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work supports that reducing transmission can alter parasite diversity, but direct links to elimination resilience remain an area of active research.
Where this research is happening
-
New York University
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pascual, Mercedes — New York University
- Study coordinator: Pascual, Mercedes
Related research
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Malaria Reservoir Study II: lowering parasite variety to help elimination in high-transmission areas
A study in Ghana aims to see if reducing the variety of malaria parasite strains can help limit transmission and move toward elimination, especially in places with high malaria pressure.
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Malaria Reservoir Study II: reducing parasite variety to help eliminate malaria in West Africa
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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.