Profile
I am currently Professor and Head of the Division of Molecular Parasitology, Ehime University. I study malaria.
Education
PhD Malaria Parasite Genetics — University of Edinburgh, Scotland 2001 -2004
Supervised by Richard Carter, and funded by a scholarship from the Wellcome Trust, my PhD studies focussed on the development of Linkage Group Selection (LGS) a combination of classical genetic linkage analysis and genomics that can be used to identify the genetic basis of medically important phenotypes in malaria parasites. Published in Genome Research, this system has formed the basis of my main research throughout my career.
BSc (hons) Biological Sciences — University of Edinburgh, Scotland 1996-2000
Honours in Zoology, specialising in Parasitology. My honours project involved an investigation into interactions between host immunity and parasite drug resistance, and was supervised by David Walliker and Pedro Cravo. I graduated with a 2:1.
Employment History
Professor - Division of Molecular Parasitology, Ehime University - 2020 - present
In 2020, I moved to head the Division of Molecular Parasitology at Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan. My research continues as below.
Assistant Professor - Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University - 2008 -2011
I joined the Department of Protozoology on a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Scholarship from the Japanese Government’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. during this time I embarked on studies of malaria parasite biology, immunology and genetics using the rodent malaria parasites, and continued my field work on P. falciparum and P. vivax in Africa.
Associate Professor - Malaria unit, ITM, Nagasaki University - 2011-2020
I gained a tenured position in April 2011, and started my own laboratory - the Malaria Unit - to continue my work on malaria parasite genetics. My lab focused on genetic and genomic approaches to identify the underlying genetic causes of phenotypic differences between parasite strains. We use the rodent malaria parasites for some of these studies, but we are increasingly pursuing investigations involving the human malaria parasites in in vitro culture, and non-human primate malaria parasites such as Plasmodium cynomolgi in monkeys. We also worked in malaria endemic countries on epidemiology related projects, including with P. falciparum and P. vivax in Africa, and P. knowlesi and P. cynomolgi in Southeast Asia.
International Research Fellow - Osaka University - 2005 -2008
Working in Kazuyuki Tanabe’s Laboratory of Malariology at Osaka University, and funded by a Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science International Fellowship for Post-Doctoral Researchers, I worked primarily on the population genetics of African P. vivax .
Research Associate - University of Edinburgh - 2004 -2005
A year’s post-doc with Richard Carter following the completion of my PhD. Funded by the Wellcome Trust, my work at this point branched into immunology and population genetics, as I began my studies on strain-specific immunity in malaria parasites and on the wheres, whys and wherefores of African Plasmodium vivax.
Research Assistant - University of Edinburgh - 2000 -2001
I worked in David Walliker’s laboratory at the Institute of Cell, Animal and Population Biology. During this time I attempted to make a cross between two strains of Plasmodium falciparum . This involved the in vitro culture of malaria parasites, as well as extensive mosquito work.
Awards
Outstanding Review Award from Clinical Infectious Diseases 2010
Young Investigator Award from the Japanese Society of Tropical Medicine 2014
Masamichi Aikawa Medal from the Japanese Society of Tropical Medicine 2023
Reviewing and Editorial Appointments
Reviewer for all major Parasitology and Tropical Medicine journals, including the Lancet, Lancet Global Health, mBio, eLife, PLoS Pathogens, PLoS NTDs, PLoS ONE, International Journal for Parasitology, American Journal for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Journal of Infectious Diseases, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Parasitology International, Infection, Genetics and Evolution etc…
2023-Present: Deputy Editor in Chief for Decoding Infection and Transmission
2022-Present: Editor for Parasitology International
2018-Present: Associate Editor for Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
2014-Present: Academic editor for PLoS One
2016-Present: Editor for the Asia Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine
2021-Present: Editorial board member for the Borneo Journal of Medical Sciences
2014-2019: Managing editor for Tropical Medicine and Health
2015 and 2022: Special Issue editor for Parasitology International
Reviewer for major international grant proposals
Teaching, Supervision and Lecturing
Organiser of the Parasitology course for Ehime University Medical Students
Occasional invited speaker at international conferences. Research supervisor for numerous Medical Student Undergraduates, Master’s Students (3), and PhD Students (6, of which 2 were/are co-supervised). Regular lecturer on malaria. Regular guest speaker for the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science’s Orientation for International Fellows (6 talks per year since 2011).
Societies
Fellow of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Member of the British Society for Parasitology
Councillor of the Japanese Society for Parasitology
Member of the Japanese Society of Tropical Medicine
Publications
For a complete list of publications, click here
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8808-5771