Global Health
I came to Cornell in 2001 after having completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the NIH. I currently conduct research on the basic molecular and cellular biology of Plasmodium falciparum through the in vitro cultivation of parasites in human RBCs and the creation of transgenic parasite lines. We specifically investigate how gene expression patterns are regulated and how this process can lead to antigenic variation through changes in transcription of the var gene family. We have students working with us on PhD theses, clinical fellows from the infectious disease division conducting their lab rotations, and typically take students (3-4) during the summer. I also maintain collaborations with NIH researchers and several NYC institutions, including NYU, Columbia, and Albert Einstein.
In the summer of 2009, I taught a course in Ghana on the cell biology of parasites. This course was designed to expose graduate students from 5 different West African countries to advanced techniques and concepts in Cell and Molecular Biology, specifically focusing on parasites that cause significant morbidity and mortality in this region of the world.
