Correspondents

Jenna Zuromski is a PhD candidate in Pathobiology at Brown University (USA) and malaria researcher trained in molecular parasitology and immunology. Her current focus is the development of a falciparum malaria therapeutic treatment based on her laboratory’s recent finding that antibodies to the novel vaccine candidate PfGARP activate parasite programmed cell death and reduce severe malaria.

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work as a MESA correspondent for the 2020 ASTMH meeting.

Julius Ichodo Odero is a Research Scientist at Kenya Medical Research Institute. He is currently part of the social science team on Advancing Evidence for the Global Implementation of Spatial Repellents (AEGIS) project. The Social Science Research on the AEGIS project is focused on understanding behavioral, market and practical factors affecting the potential of households’ spatial repellent use for malaria control.

Serving as MESA correspondent is an ideal opportunity to utilize, learn and improve my writing skills in disseminating the latest experiences, findings and advances in vector-borne disease that inform the adoption of best practices for surveillance, control, and elimination of vector-borne diseases in Africa and worldwide.

Katelyn Stanhope works as a Research Assistant in the Infectious Diseases Systems Epidemiology Group at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne, Australia. Katelyn utilises genomic assays and bioinformatics analysis to reveal and define Plasmodium parasite relationships and transmission dynamics.

I am very gracious for the opportunity to attend the Molecular Approaches to Malaria 2024 conference as a MESA Correspondent. I am looking forward to improving my writing skills as well as connecting and collaborating with other malaria researchers from across the globe.

Leen Vanheer trained as a medical doctor and is a PhD candidate at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK. Her research focuses on malaria genomics, including molecular markers of drug resistance, as well as on the transmission-blocking abilities of antimalarials

 Attending the Genomic Epidemiology of Malaria Conference and being a MESA correspondent are great opportunities that will allow me to stay updated on the latest advancements in malaria research. I am looking forward to connecting with fellow malaria researchers and helping disseminate the exciting research presented at this conference.

Masudi Suleiman is a research scientist at Ifakara Health Institute (IHI), Tanzania, with an MSc in Public Health Research. He develops and applies improved methos to evaluate vector control products. He also explores the impact of climate change on mosquito vectors and their associated diseases.

Being a MESA correspondent brings a wonderful opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to malaria research and its eradication efforts.

Being a MESA Correspondent is a good opportunity to improve my scientific writing skills and I am eager to report on the talks from MAM 2024 in a clear and concise manner.

Muhammad Hafizu Sulaiman is a Research Assistant at the Depatrment of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia, engaging in entomological surveillance focusing on Aedes mosquitoes. His strengths are data analysis, mosquito collection, and nucleic acid extraction among others.

The opportunity to be a MESA correspondent at the ICTMM conference 2024, will greatly improve my understanding of recent techniques and advancements in malaria control as well as improve my writing and communication skills. These will strengthen my ability to effectively contribute to the fight against malaria in my home country and beyond.

Dr. Nkemngo Francis is a junior group leader at the Centre for Infection Biology and Tropical Health (CIBITH), University of Buea and a research scientist at the Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), Cameroon. His research focuses on interrogating the population biology, evolutionary genomics and characterizing the functional relevance of novel candidate markers/alleles of antimalarial drug, diagnostic and malaria vaccine resistance in Central Africa across time, geography, control interventions and changing climate in order to strengthen molecular surveillance, inform actionable decision-making and support local malaria elimination.

I am motivated to be part of MESA to widen my knowledge scope and communicate malaria research to a wider audience while engaging in career development and networking opportunities as a budding researcher.

Ntui Vincent Ntui-Njock is a Postdoctoral fellow with the DELGEME Plus antimicrobial Resistance program at MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM.  He is a holder of a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, M.Sc in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and BSc Biochemistry. He is an enthusiastic young African Scientist looking forward to a long-lasting career in the field of  Malaria Epidemiology, parasite population biology, and drug resistance. He is currently working on developing Novel Multi-Allelic Molecular Barcodes for Plasmodium falciparum Population Dynamics studies.

I am eagerly looking forward to working as a MESA correspondent to assist in the sharing of updates on the recent developments in malaria research to those who are unable to attend.

Nurul Izza Zakaria works as a Science Officer (Microbiology) at the Department of Pathology, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. Her postgraduate journey focused on the pathophysiology of malaria, including the mechanisms underlying the disease’s progression and the factors that contribute to its persistence in various regions.

Being part of the MESA Correspondents Program is a tremendous privilege, one that I approach with great enthusiasm and gratitude. This program provides an invaluable opportunity to explore the latest advancements in malaria research and develop my writing skills.