Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute

This year’s is underway! Johns Hopkins Professor Doug Norris talks ticks and mosquitoes.

Whether or not you're at the 29th annual Vector Encounter tomorrow and Friday at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, follow us here for highlights, interviews and fun from Baltimore!

Many of the country's top vector investigators will present their labs' latest research in Chalk Talk and Short Talk formats, emphasizing ideas and the latest discoveries.

A study published last week in The Lancet reported that, between 2019 and 2023, the RTS,S malaria vaccine averted 1 in 8 child deaths from the disease.
Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute professor Fidel Zavala, MD has spent decades defining the mechanisms of protective immunity against malaria parasites and focusing on how to design vaccines that exploit these immune responses.
He says: “The news from this study is encouraging. It demonstrates that, though the vaccine is far from perfect, it is a vital tool in the fight against malaria. We look forward to improving RTS,S and R21 to save even more lives.”

Join us in Baltimore on May 28 & 29 for our 29th annual Vector Encounter. Kick off summer with learning, networking & fun with many of the world's leading vector experts. When you register, don't forget to add Thursday's Maryland steamed crab feast! 🦀🔨
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/malaria-research-institute/2026-vector-encounter

The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of an eight-member Board of Advisors. The board, comprised of experts from a wide array of fields, provides counsel, advice and support to the Institute on an ad-hoc basis.

The members are:

Ashley J. Birkett, PhD - USA
Global Head, Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases
Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access
PATH

Elizabeth Chizema, MPH, MD – Zambia
Zambia End Malaria Council Coordinator
African Leaders Malaria Alliance

Mesay Hailu, MPH, PhD – Ethiopia
Director General, Ethiopian Public Health Institute

Margaret McDonnell – USA
Executive Director, United to Beat Malaria
United Nations Foundation

Laura Norris, PhD – USA
Senior Program Officer
Gates Foundation

David B. Olsen, PhD – USA
Former Scientific Associate VP
Neglected Tropical Diseases Discovery Lead
Merck Research Laboratories

Eleanor Riley, PhD – UK
Professor Emeritus of Immunology and Infectious Disease
The University of Edinburgh

Michael Santos, PhD – USA
Senior Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer
The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health

“We’re pleased to have access to the expertise and wisdom of this distinguished group of scientists, public health leaders and advocates,” said JHMRI director Jane Carlton. “We look forward to working with the Board of Advisors to make real progress in the fight against malaria.”

The Malaria Research Institute, part of Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, has 33 faculty members working in areas including diagnostics, drugs, vector control, and vaccine development – all aimed toward reducing the number of infections and deaths from malaria. Although the disease was eliminated in the United States in the 1950s, it continues to infect, sicken and kill people in countries where it remains endemic. In 2024, there were nearly a quarter of a billion cases of malaria and more than 600,000 deaths. Most deaths occurred in small children in Sub-Saharan African countries.

The new Board of Advisors had its first meeting in April in Washington, DC following JHMRI’s day-long event to mark the 25th anniversary of the Institute’s founding and World Malaria Day.

We're honored by the Malaria Journal's kind words on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of our founding.
"A Legacy of Scientific Excellence -- Over the past 25 years, JHMRI has built a globally-renowned and comprehensive research program. Institute scientists investigate every angle of the disease—from mosquito biology, to parasite genetics, human immunity and malaria epidemiology, with the goal of developing better diagnostics, medicines, and vaccines."
"As JHMRI enters its next quarter century, the Institute is launching bold new initiatives: gene-drive mosquito technologies, novel repellents and traps, improved diagnostics, vaccine impact studies, and district-wide strategies to eliminate malaria deaths."
Link to the full article in comments.

From Africa science news: Climate, Funding Cuts and Conflict Drive Malaria Surge as Vaccines Offer Hope

Climate, Funding Cuts and Conflict Drive Malaria Surge as Vaccines Offer Hope By Lenah Bosibori Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have warned that conflict, displacement and climate change are accelerating malaria transmission globally. Speaking during a high-level briefing hosted by the institut...

News source Kenyans.co.ke reports that heavy rains in 's Lake Victoria Basin have the country bracing for a possible outbreak. To prevent the spread, say gov officials, clear stagnant water, use treated mosquito nets & seek early treatment.

Kenya Met Warns of High-Risk Deadly Outbreak of Malaria Epidemic This comes after the weatherman warned of increased rainfall and flooding across the country in the second half of April.