Integration of biostatistics and mathematical modelling to improve the control of malaria

Project Details

Approximately 200 million clinical cases of malaria are treated globally each year. Artemisinin combination therapies are the first line treatment for falciparum malaria. Alarmingly, resistance to these artemisinin derivatives, the most highly effective antimalarial drugs, has spread in Southeast Asia and emerged in Africa and PNG, jeopardizing malaria control. This research program brings together advanced biostatistical research with mathematical modelling with the aim of improving treatment outcomes for malaria patients and identifying interventions that will prevent future disease. The research program will primarily focus on malaria, but the methodological advances have widespread applicability to other infectious diseases.

Mathematical models integrating blood anti-malarial drug concentrations with the parasite-time profile of an infected individual provide an avenue to studying drug action. Within this program, novel mathematical models for antimalarial drugs that account for the immune function of the infected individual and the drug action against sensitive and resistant strains will be developed. The predictive value of these biologically informed mathematical models are validated against clinical data using a Bayesian hierarchical framework. Using the derived posterior parameter distributions and a simulation-based approach, optimal dosing regimens are determined and provided to the World Health Organization.

For more details of individual research projects and publications please see our qMalaria research group website:- https://qmalaria.org/

Researchers

Prof Julie Simpson

A/Prof Emily Karahalios

Dr Angela Devine

Dr Saber Dini

Dr Ali Haghiri

Peixuan Li

Dr Alistair McLean

Dr Rob Moss

Dr David Price

Dr Megha Rajasekhar

Dr Sophie Zaloumis


PhD Students:
Meg Tully

Jeyamalar T Thurai Rathnam

Collaborators

  • Members of the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) (https://www.iddo.org/wwarn)
  • Members of the Australian Centre of Research Excellence in Malaria Elimination (https://acreme.edu.au/ )
  • Prof. Francois Nosten, Prof. Nicholas J White, Prof. Rose McGready, Dr James Watson - University of Oxford

Research Group

Biostatistics

Faculty Research Themes

Infection and Immunology

School Research Themes

Key Contact

For further information about this research, please contact the research group leader.

Department / Centre

Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics

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