January 18, 2007

Online: “Progress Against Malaria”

To promote cooperation among entities working to combat malaria, the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute and the New York Academy of Sciences presented "Progress Against Malaria: Developments on the Horizon" on Oct. 24, 2007. The half-day symposium explored some of the latest research developments in the fight to combat malaria with discussions of new diagnostic tests, treatment and prevention strategies, and malaria-resistant mosquitoes. The symposium also featured work from Macha, Zambia, where malaria research is conducted in a unique rural setting.

Complete coverage of the symposium is now available online through the Academy’s website at www.nyas.org/jhmri. The eBriefing includes audio and slides from each presentation, plus video interviews with key speakers Chris Hentschel, president and CEO of Medicines for Malaria Venture, Christian Loucq, director of PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, and Peter Agre, director of JHMRI.

Agenda

Welcome and Introduction

Ellis Rubinstein
President, The New York Academy of Sciences

KEYNOTE LECTURE

Current Developments in Malaria Product Innovation and Control

Chris Hentschel, PhD
President and Chief Executive Officer, Medicines for Malaria Venture

SESSION I: The State of the Art and Beyond: Vaccine Development and Creation of Malaria-Resistant Mosquitoes

Moderator: Diane Griffin, MD, PhD
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Mosquitoes That Can’t Get Infected

Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena, PhD
Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute

Progress and Challenge in the Development of a Malaria Vaccine: The PATH MVI Perspective

Christian Loucq, MD
Director, The PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative

SESSION II: Progress in Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatment

Moderator: Peter Agre, MD
Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute

Macha: A Living Laboratory in Rural Zambia
Douglas Norris, PhD
Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute

Using Human Saliva to Detect Malaria Infection
Sungano Mharakurwa, PhD
Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute

A Urine Dipstick for Malaria Diagnosis
David Sullivan, MD
Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute

Why and How Malaria Parasites Vary
Susan Kraemer, PhD
Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute

Vaccination to Prevent Mosquito Infection
Nirbhay Kumar, PhD
Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute

General Discussion and Questions

Closing Remarks

Michael J. Klag, MD, MPH
Dean, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Public Affairs media contact: Tim Parsons at 410-955-6878 or paffairs@jhsph.edu.