Research Focus
The Molecular Parasitology Laboratory was founded by the late Professor McManus, and is now headed by Professor Malcolm Jones.
The laboratory leads the world in parasitic worm research with the goal of global control of neglected tropical helminthiases. The group translates laboratory findings into effective disease interventions paving the way for improved health outcomes.
Along with a multidisciplinary collaborative team, the laboratory pioneers research on the development and application of schistosomiasis vaccines, in diagnostics, genomics and in tropical/international health, contributing a cohesive and remarkable body of 650 publications.
Many are transformational, shaping policy/practice leading to improved treatment/control of worm infections with wide-scale application for informing government agencies, including Australian, globally on intervention options in other parasite-endemic communities.
Gallery
Research Projects
Current Research Projects
Schistosoma mekongi in Lao PDR.
Ending the neglect – Setting the platform for Strongyloidiasis elimination in Australia.
Eliminating the major helminth worm diseases from the Lower Mekong Basin.
Research Team
Madeleine Rogers
Chika Prisca Zumuk
Emmanuel Tabilin
Jonas Rivera
Funding
- NHMRC Leadership Fellowship (Level 3).
- NHMRC Program Grant: “Tropical diseases: Translating discoveries into better health”.
- NHMRC Project Grant: “Conquering schistosomiasis in China: the last mile”.
- NHMRC Investigator Grant “A worm-free world: defeating parasitic helminths via global integrated control”.
- NHMRC e-ASIA Joint Research Program (e-ASIA JRP) “Eliminating the Major Helminth Neglected Tropical Diseases from the Lower Mekong Basin”.
- NHMRC Project Grant: “ Developing optimal diagnostic tools for schistosomiasis: the public health implications for control and elimination”.
- ARC Project Grant “Decoding the molecular components of aquatic parasite-host interactions”.
- QIMRB seed grant “Employing CRISPR genome engineering to unravel the mechanism of praziquantel drug resistance in human schistosomes”.
- UQ-QIMRB seed grant “Enlisting the CRISPR-Cas12/13 based system for improved schistosomiasis diagnosis”.
- UQ-QIMRB seed grant “Parasitic helminth-derived immunomodulators to fight viral sepsis in severe COVID-19”.
- AID/ANU seed grants: “Magic Glasses Covid-19: a hygiene and social distancing health education package to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection in children”.
- NHMRC e-ASIA Joint Research Program (e-Asia JRP) “Rapid point of care diagnostics for the elimination of Asian Schistosomiasis”.
- NHMRC e-ASIA Joint Research Program (e-Asia JRP) “Eliminating S. mekongi – the final push”.
- NHMRC Ideas Grant “Harnessing CRISPR-Cas13 molecular diagnosis in the fight against intestinal parasitic worms”.
- NHMRC Synergy Grant “Ending the neglect – setting the platform for strongyloidiasis elimination in Australia”.
Publications
Gordon, C. A. et al. Asian schistosomiasis: Current status and prospects for control leading to elimination. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 4, 40 (2019).
MacGregor, S. R. et al. Development of CRISPR/Cas13a-based assays for the diagnosis of Schistosomiasis. EBioMedicine 94, 104730, doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104730 (2023).
Mu, Y. et al. Development and assessment of a novel gold immunochromatographic assay for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis japonica. Frontiers in immunology 14, 1165480, doi:10.3389/fimmu.2023.1165480 (2023).
Further Information
- Professor Gail Williams, University of Queensland
- Professor Alex Loukas, James Cook University
- Professor Denise Doolan, University of Queensland
- Professor David Blair, James Cook University
- Professor Wenbao Zhang, Xinjiang Medical University
- Professor Carlos Graeff Teixeira, Universidade Federal do Espíritu Santo, Brazil
- Professor Shengyue Wang, China Human Genome Centre
- Professor Wei Hu, Fudan University
- Professor Zheng Feng and Prof Xiaonong Zhou, NIPD, Shanghai
- Dr Mario Jiz, Research Institute of Tropical Medicine, Manila
- Dr Marianette Inobaya, Research Institute of Tropical Medicine, Manila
- A/Professor Marcello Otake Sato, Niigata University, Japan
- Dr Yasuhito Sako, Asahikawa Medical University, Japan
- Professor Paul Brindley, George Washington University
- Professor Don Harn, University of Georgia
- Dr Geoff Gobert, University of Belfast
- Professor Jurg Utzinger, Swiss Tropical Institute
- Professor Robert Bergquist , WHO
- Richard Bradbury, James Cook University
- Colleen Lau, University of Queensland
- Professor Somphou Sayasone, Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute, Lao PDR
- Professor Virak Khieu, National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, Cambodia
- Professor Banchob Sripa, Khon Kaen University, Thailand