Jayamalar T Thurai Rathnam

Jeyamalar’s PhD will focus on zoonotic P. knowlesi which has been responsible for the increase in malaria infections in Malaysia.

Bridging of mathematical and statistical approaches to inform the elimination of malaria from Malaysia

Jayamalar T Thurai Rathnam

Jeyamalar T Thurai Rathnam

Principal supervisor: Prof. Julie A Simpson
Co-supervisors: Dr Saber Dini and Associate Prof. Matthew Grigg

Malaria is endemic in more than 80 countries worldwide with 409,000 deaths globally in 2019. There are five malaria parasites known to cause human infections, namely, Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum), P. vivax, P. knowlesi, P. ovale, and P. malariae. These parasites are transmitted to humans via vectors, predominantly female Anopheles mosquitoes. Jeyamalar’s PhD will focus on zoonotic P. knowlesi which has been responsible for the increase in malaria infections in Malaysia. Given that research into P. knowlesi is fairly scant compared to P. falciparum and P. vivax, Jeyamalar aims to determine the best way to quantify parasite clearance, and to estimate the effects of immunity biomarkers, genetic markers and cross-reaction immunity on parasite clearance to inform targeted antimalarial therapy.

Scholarship: Melbourne Research Scholarship, The University of Melbourne