# Amazonian Center of Excellence in Malaria Research

> **NIH NIH U19** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2023 · $329,000

## Abstract

The broad, long-term objective of this project is to guide malaria elimination strategies in Amazonia taking into
account human, environmental, and biological features that combine to maintain hypoendemic malaria in the
region. The complexity of Amazonian malaria is augmented by intense human movement related to work and
social interactions, which combined with asymptomatic infections lead to “silent” reservoirs of malaria parasites
moving across space and time. Over the past ICEMR project period, population-based longitudinal cohort
studies in Brazil and Peru have demonstrated complex patterns of malaria transmission in epidemiologically
contrasting sites (e.g., increasing transmission vs. disappearing malaria). This new Project will continue
longitudinal studies to delineate a fine level of malaria transmission and endemicity complexity in these and
new sites. This Project is based on the primary hypothesis (as is the entire Amazonia ICEMR program)
that asymptomatic, subpatent parasitemia drive ongoing hypoendemic malaria. Residual malaria (due
to outdoor-biting Anopheles darlingi mosquitoes potentially related to anthropogenically-driven
changing vector behaviors and genetics, Project 2) and emerging, complex patterns of malaria
reintroductions has made studying alternative approaches to malaria elimination a critical issue. In this
project we seek to understand the patterns and determinants of two contrasting malaria epidemiological
settings in the Amazon: residual malaria with continuing hypoendemicity, and foci of high transmission. These
settings have different local ecologies (riverine, highway and urban areas) and human behavior (e.g., bednet
use, occupation, mobility). In Aim 1, we will gather data to calculate and interpret local indices of transmission,
and to comprehensively identify local determinants of malaria transmission. Aim 1 integrates all three Projects
of the ICEMR by identifying and characterizing the context of malaria cases, and referring symptomatic and
asymptomatic patients to Project 2 to guide mosquito population characterization and transmission biology
studies, and to Project 3 for immunological experiments, respectively. In Aim 2 comprehensive molecular
epidemiological approaches and population genetics will be used to identify temporal population changes in P.
vivax and P. falciparum, to detect reintroductions and parasite population replacements, and to estimate
parasite population complexity at baseline and potentially after interventions. Aim 3, also integrating all three
ICEMR projects, will model the dynamics of malaria transmission, simulate the optimal intervention packages
to reduce malaria in epidemiologically contrasting settings, explicitly accounting for ecological heterogeneity
and differences in human socio-demographics. This Project will contribute new solutions to ongoing and
emerging malaria challenges in Amazonia. The comprehensive molecular and epidemiological data sets from
this Project, integ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10598085
- **Project number:** 5U19AI089681-15
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Marcelo Urbano Ferreira
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $329,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2010-07-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10598085

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10598085, Amazonian Center of Excellence in Malaria Research (5U19AI089681-15). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10598085. Licensed CC0.

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