News from our Lab

Nora Cespedes

Nora Cespedes presenting at the 2022 American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene annual meeting

Nora Cespedes will present her research “IL-10 derived from mast cells protects intestinal barrier integrity during malaria and controls parasite transmission to Anopheles stephensi” at the 2022 American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene annual meeting from October 30 to November 3 in Seattle, WA. She will also co-chair the “Immune Response to Malaria” session with Dr. Andrea Berry of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

April morning in Moscow Idaho

Two postdoctoral fellowships available immediately on NIH R01 AI165481 with annual re-appointment possible through July 2026

Severe malaria induces changes in circulating blood levels of the biogenic amines histamine and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and these changes are associated with human disease pathology. Histamine and 5-HT are also important neuromodulators in insects, including mosquitoes. Our overarching hypothesis is that histamine and 5-HT, ingested in blood by feeding mosquitoes, signal through anopheline biogenic amine receptors and alter endogenous biogenic amine levels, life history traits, behavior and mosquito infection success to amplify malaria parasite transmission. These studies are innovative in that they connect novel mosquito biology to clinical observations in malaria, they focus on mosquito ingestion of biogenic amines at physiological levels detected in blood and they will define previously unexplored anopheline gut-brain axes for histaminergic and serotonergic signaling. With completion of these studies with our collaborators Dr. Michael Robert (Virginia Tech), who will provide modeling expertise, and Dr. Ed Lewis (University of Idaho), who will provide statistical expertise,

Raquel Simao Gurge

Raquel Simão Gurge is new Manager of the Integrated Data Analysis Core facility at IMCI

Raquel Simão Gurge was recently selected as the new Manager of the Integrated Data Analysis Core (IDAC) facility for the UI Institute for Modeling Collaboration and Innovation (IMCI). As IDAC manager, Raquel will provide technical expertise, service and training to users of IDAC equipment (flow cytometry and sorting, microscopy, digital PCR, etc.) and will use her substantial skills and knowledge of biochemistry, microbiology and molecular biology to establish new users and engagement for new technology across campus, providing critical support for ongoing research programs that depend on these resources.

Taylor Coles

Taylor Coles received a travel scholarship from the UI Institute for Health in the Human Ecosystem

Taylor Coles received a travel scholarship from the UI Institute for Health in the Human Ecosystem to travel to Seattle, WA, to work with our University of Washington collaborator Dr. Jeff Riffell for a week in May 2022. Taylor was also selected as a junior faculty member and mentor for the 2022 National Native Youth Climate Adaptation and Leadership Congress (NYCALC). As a member of the Choctaw Nation, Taylor will share her experiences in STEM and encourage young NYCALC participants to explore their interests in science and pursue educational opportunities in these areas.