Tracking malaria species and how they affect people in Burkina Faso

Research Project 1: Epidemiology of malaria species and their natural history in human hosts

NIH-funded research Colorado State University · NIH-11518650

This project looks at the different malaria parasites, how they spread, and how they cause illness across communities in Burkina Faso.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionColorado State University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Fort Collins, United States)
Project IDNIH-11518650 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would see teams working across cities, rural villages, and migrant gold-mining camps to collect information about the parasites that cause malaria and about people's illness and age. They will link parasite species and genetics to clinical data and sample local mosquito species and breeding sites to understand transmission patterns. The project will also test for drug and insecticide resistance and combine field and lab work from Burkina Faso and U.S. partners. Local training and a dedicated data core aim to turn the findings into better prevention and treatment plans for affected communities.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants are residents or temporary workers (including children and adults) living in urban, rural, and gold-mining communities across the Sudan, Sudan-Sahel, and Sahel zones of Burkina Faso, especially those with fever or recent malaria infection.

Not a fit: People living outside the targeted regions or whose illnesses are not caused by malaria would not be expected to directly benefit from participation.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the work could guide more effective, locally tailored malaria control and treatment strategies based on parasite species, mosquito ecology, and resistance patterns.

How similar studies have performed: Related regional malaria studies have helped identify transmission hotspots and resistance patterns, though combining parasite genetics, detailed vector ecology, and linked human clinical data across these varied landscapes is less common.

Where this research is happening

Fort Collins, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.