Understanding hidden malaria infections in India
Official title: Center for the Study of Complex Malaria in India
Funded at London Sch/hygiene & Tropical Medicine · NIH-11397176 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for hidden malaria infections and better tests to help people living in areas of India where malaria still occurs.
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) | $194,808 |
| NIH project number | 3U19AI181587-02S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397176 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults living in the malaria-endemic study districts of Odisha, India, especially those with recent fevers or living in areas with ongoing transmission, would be the most likely candidates for participation.
✕Less likely to help
People who live outside the study areas or children under the study's age criteria (e.g., under 21 in this project) would not be eligible and are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participating.
What this research studies
From the patient perspective, researchers will follow communities in three districts of Odisha over several years and also collect information from people who come to district health centers with fevers. Teams will look for infections that standard rapid tests miss, study which mosquitoes and parasite types keep transmission going, and search for new biological markers that could improve detection. The Center combines community-based cohorts, passive clinic surveillance, laboratory analysis, and biomarker discovery while partnering with Indian public health programs. The work also aims to strengthen local research capacity so findings can be applied by health services.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more reliable malaria tests, uncover hidden reservoirs of infection, and support targeted control measures that reduce illness in affected communities.
How similar studies have gone: Previous malaria control and surveillance efforts have reduced cases in many areas, but persistent hidden infections and failures of some rapid tests are ongoing problems, and the biomarker discovery elements here are 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
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Digital malaria surveillance in Ethiopia to improve outbreak detection
A collaboration to add a malaria-specific digital module to an existing surveillance system in Africa to help detect and respond to outbreaks faster.
-
Cross-sector partnership uses digital malaria surveillance in Ethiopia
A US-based team will adapt and test a digital malaria surveillance module in SORMAS to help detect and respond to malaria outbreaks in Ethiopia.
-
Malaria control project in Western Kenya to reduce illness and deaths
A large, multi-year effort in western Kenya will help track malaria spread and test ways to prevent transmission so fewer people get sick or die.
-
Optimizing tafenoquine dose to prevent relapse of vivax malaria in Asia
A study tests the best tafenoquine dose to prevent P. vivax malaria relapse in people in East Asia and Oceania.
-
Optimizing tafenoquine dose to prevent P. vivax malaria relapses in Asia
A study to find the best single-dose tafenoquine amount to prevent relapse of P. vivax malaria in people in East Asia and Oceania.
-
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.