# Optimizing spatial sampling strategies for the molecular surveillance of drug resistant malaria

> **NIH NIH F31** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $45,520

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Antimalarial drugs are a critical tool in both the treatment and prevention malaria worldwide, yet their success
has been hampered by the continual emergence and spread of antimalarial resistance (AMR). In the current
climate of multidrug resistance, including resistance to the global front-line drug artemisinin, there is a need to
scale up timely and widespread surveillance of AMR. The development of artemisinin resistance in sub-
Saharan Africa would have a devastating impact on malaria-related morbidity and mortality. Molecular
surveillance, which involves the screening of blood samples to determine the prevalence of molecular markers
associated with drug resistance, can be a valuable tool for detecting emergent resistance genotypes before
they become widespread. This proposal will first characterize the state of molecular monitoring efforts across
sub-Saharan Africa. With the hypothesis that studies remain temporally and geographically clustered, we will
use model-based geostatistics to interpolate the prevalence of AMR markers and suggest optimal strategies
for future sampling sites. Next, in Burkina Faso, we will assess the utility of an alternative surveillance tool: the
use of bloodmeals collected by arthropods, a technique known as xenosurveillance, to monitor molecular
markers in humans that have been recently fed upon. We believe xenosurveillance may act as a
complementary, rapidly deployable, and acceptable tool for the molecular surveillance of AMR. Finally,
because molecular surveillance relies primarily on human-based interventional or cross-sectional trials, the role
of the mosquito in transmitting drug resistant parasites remains unexplored. We will leverage our
xenosurveillance samples to investigate the impact of vector behavior on the differential transmission of AMR
parasites.
This project will investigate the prevalence and dynamics of antimalarial resistance at multiple spatial scales.
The goal of the proposed research is to help guide policymakers in their efforts to control the spread of AMR in
sub-Saharan Africa, where drug pressure stems from both treatment and prevention regimens, and this
pharmacological landscape changes regularly alongside the vector control landscape. After the completion of
this two-year research and training fellowship, the applicant will have an advanced skillset in geostatistical
modeling, molecular epidemiology, scientific communication and extensive field experience. Ultimately, the
candidate seeks expertise in spatial analysis and applied epidemiology in order to advance surveillance efforts
and improve our understanding of the geographic factors that influence vector-borne disease transmission. A
multidisciplinary mentoring team will prepare the applicant for research independence in a career as a global
health researcher and vector-borne disease epidemiologist at the nexus of environmental and human health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9911241
- **Project number:** 1F31AI150168-01
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Hanna Ehrlich
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $45,520
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-01-16 → 2023-01-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9911241

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9911241, Optimizing spatial sampling strategies for the molecular surveillance of drug resistant malaria (1F31AI150168-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9911241. Licensed CC0.

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