Gates Foundation Award for Malaria Research

As one of the three most widespread and deadly infectious diseases in the world, malaria challenges researchers in search for a cure. Each year approximately 500 million people around the globe are infected and up to two million die of the disease. In some regions, the disease has become resistant to malaria drugs.

Pradipsinh K. Rathod, UW professor of chemistry, believes that unique malaria parasite strains in Southeast Asia may be fueling drug resistance. His team has shown that these parasites mutate at a rate up to 1,000 times higher than parasites elsewhere, causing increased drug resistance and, ultimately, higher death rates throughout the world. 

	PhD student Dan Freeman does malaria-related research in Pradipsinh Rathod's lab. Photo by Rachel Peter.

For his work, Rathod has been awarded a Grand Challenges Explorations Initiative Grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  This grant seeks out high-risk research that may lead to new solutions for health challenges in developing countries. 

Rathod’s research project was one of five UW projects –from a pool of about 4,000 world-wide applicants—selected to receive $100,000 for one year under the first funding round of Grand Challenges Explorations.

Rathod’s high-risk project is designed to pinpoint components of the malaria genome responsible for this rapid mutation phenomenon.  In addition he is incorporating a strategy to deliver new drugs that will disable the component of the parasite cell involved in rapid mutation. This new strategy should give traditional drugs and vaccines a fighting chance against resistant parasites. 

“If we can empower current drugs so that they remain effective for a few decades, that would benefit a lot of people,” says Rathod.

This project is one of four that Rathod leads, all with a focus on malaria.  Born and raised in Tanzania, where malaria is prevalent, he made a strong, early commitment to work on malaria research, which he has been doing since 1981.  His research team for this project includes PhD students John White and Dan Freeman and post-doctoral students Jenny Guler and Napawan Ponmee. 

“We are very fortunate to qualify for this startup funding for our ‘crazy’ idea, designed not to cure malaria, but to enable drugs and vaccines to last longer,” says Rathod. 

The team must demonstrate progress within one year to be considered for the second, more competitive stage of funding.  If they eventually succeed in developing a drug that inhibits rapid mutation and resistance in the parasite, the world will be one step closer to finding a lasting cure for malaria.

-- Rachel Peter, A&S Marketing & Communications Intern

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