The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) invites you to participate in a short survey about your
interaction with the ARDC and use of our national research infrastructure and services. The survey will take
approximately 5 minutes and is anonymous. It’s open to anyone who uses our digital research infrastructure
services including Reasearch Link Australia.
We will use the information you provide to improve the national research infrastructure and services we
deliver and to report on user satisfaction to the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research
Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) program.
Please take a few minutes to provide your input. The survey closes COB Friday 29 May 2026.
Complete the 5 min survey now by clicking on the link below.
Plasmodium Knowlesi As A Genetic Model For Plasmodium Vivax Drug Resistance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$417,193.00
Summary
Two different Plasmodium parasites cause the majority of malaria worldwide. However, one type, P. vivax, is unable to be cultured in the laboratory and therefore has been poorly studied. Drug resistance has been observed but the underlying causes are poorly understood. We propose to use a closely related parasite, P. knowlesi, as a model to understand drug resistance mechanisms. This knowledge will be used to follow resistance in the field and direct policy of the most appropriate treatment.
Defining The Mechanisms Of Action For Ozonide Antimalarials
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$668,152.00
Summary
Deadly malaria parasites have emerged that are resistant to all classes of approved drugs. Ozonides are a new class of medicines recently approved for malaria, and provide a much-needed treatment option for multi-drug resistant infections. However, the mode of action and potential for cross-resistance is poorly understood. This project will use modern analytical techniques to measure the impact of ozonides on parasite biochemistry to reveal mechanisms involved in drug action and resistance.
Development Of Novel Anti-malaria Drugs That Block Parasite Invasion
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,035,623.00
Summary
Malaria is a devastating parasitic disease that kills over 400,000 people a year. Antimalarial drugs play a crucial role in helping eradicate malaria but of great concern is that parasites are becoming resistant to current drugs. We are developing drugs that prevent parasites from invading and proliferating in human blood which causes malaria. We are also discovering how the drugs work with the aim of greatly improving their performance towards clinical uptake.
The Na+-H+ Exchanger And H+-pumping Pyrophosphatases Of The Malaria Parasite
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$664,604.00
Summary
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a single-celled parasite. The disease kills up to 2 million people each year and the parasite is becoming increasingly resistant to available drugs. This work focuses on the mechanisms by which the parasite controls its internal ion concentrations. These mechanisms may be new drug targets, and they may also play a role in antimalarial drug resistance. For both of these reasons it is important that we understand them.
The Control And Regulatory Mechanisms Of Artemisinin Induced Dormancy In P. Falciparum
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$495,552.00
Summary
Malaria is a major global health problem and can only be reliably treated with artemisinin combinations in many areas due to widespread of drug resistance. However a proportion of parasites appear to be able to avoid the lethal effects of the drug by becoming “dormant” following exposure. They resume growth after the drug is wanned, a feature which is reminisent to cell cycle arrest. This study investigates the role of cell cycle machinery in dormancy following arteminsinin treatment.
Griseofulvin, A Novel Host-directed Antimalarial Drug
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$461,551.00
Summary
This grant is for a Phase II clinical trial to test an FDA & TGA approved drug for a new use as an antimalarial drug. The parasite uses an enzyme from the human RBC to help it replicate & early trials show this drug appears to disrupt the life cycle of the parasite. This Phase II clinical trial will test the drug on human subjects, & if successful, the drug will be a new and novel way in which to treat and prevent malarial infections in humans.
Over the next 5 years my team and I plan to study parasite invasion and blood cell enslavement to guide the design of better vaccines and medicines. Malaria as a deadly parasitic disease caused by large-scale infection of the body’s red blood cells. To design more effective vaccines and improved drugs to globally eliminate malaria we need to improve our understanding of how parasites infect and enslave our blood cells so they can grow rapidly and avoid our immune system.
Enhancing Anti-parasitic Drug Discovery With Metabolomics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$483,402.00
Summary
Tropical diseases, such as malaria, infect millions of people each year, and drug resistance is emerging to current treatments. This research will improve our understanding of how current medicines work, and importantly, identify ways in which potential new drugs can kill malaria parasites.
Disease Burden, Risk Factors And Treatment Of Knowlesi Malaria
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$95,564.00
Summary
Plasmodium knowlesi is a form of monkey malaria recently found to also cause increasing numbers of natural infections in humans in South-East Asia. This research will describe the burden of P. knowlesi malaria in an area of Malaysian Borneo. The risk factors for acquiring P. knowlesi malaria will be assessed. Finally the optimal treatment for non-severe cases of P. knowlesi and P. vivax malaria will also be evaluated by comparing the 2 currently recommended anti-malarial medications in Malaysia.
Improving Malaria Elimination Strategies With Genomics: Tackling The Unique Problems Posed By Plasmodium Vivax, And P. Falciparum Drug Resistance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$327,193.00
Summary
Malaria parasites are becoming resistant to drugs, and some types can avoid treatment by hiding in the liver and recurring months later. Variation in human genes can also mean that some drugs are dangerous to certain people, or won’t work. DNA sequencing will allow us to understand the interplay between parasite and host genetics and the efficacy of drugs in the population, allowing us to provide ‘personalised’ treatments in that region.