Molecular Parasitology

Senior Scientist

Professor Don McManus

Summary

The Molecular Parasitology Laboratory researches the biology and epidemiology of parasitic worms of humans and works on developing new interventions and diagnostic procedures that will lead to their elimination.

The lab researches parasitic worms of humans, particularly schistosome blood flukes, which are responsible for the potentially debilitating disease schistosomiasis (Bilharzia), and dog tapeworms (Echinococcus), which are the cause of hydatid disease.

Conditions researched

• Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia)
• Hydatid disease

Current research

• Extensive human schistosome field studies in Hunan Province (Dongting Lake region), Jiangxi Province (Poyang Lake) and other provinces in China.
• Characterising nuclear and mitochondrial genomes and investigating molecular variation both in the genomes and in key molecules that may be the targets of new anti-schistosome and anti-Echinococcus vaccines.
• Dissecting the molecular and immunological mechanisms involved in human disease caused by schistosomes and Echinococcus.
• Identifying novel drugs and vaccine targets for schistosomiasi.
• Development of new diagnosis methods for hydatid diseas.
• Development of a vaccine against Echinococcus for use in dog hosts.

Staff

Group Leader: Professor Don McManus

Senior Research Fellow: Dr Yuesheng Li

Senior Research Associates: Dr Geoff Gobert; Dr Wenbao Zhang

Postdoctoral staff: Dr Jun Li, Dr Yurong Yang, Dr Hong You, Dr Barrie Anthony

Scientific Technical Officer: Mary Duke

Research Assistant: James Byron

PhD students: Patrick Driguez; Franziska Bieri; Catherine Gordon; Adebayo Molehin; Shiwanthi Ranasinghe

Visiting scientists: Dr Giovanna Raso, Dr Magda Ellis, Dr Darren Gray (DECRA Research Fellow/IDEU/SPH/UQ)

Funding

We gratefully acknowledge support from the following organisations and funding bodies:

• National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia
  
• UBS Optimus Foundation, Switzerland
• Queensland-US Vaccine Technology Alliance
  

Collaborations

Feng Zheng and Professor Guo Jiagang, WHO Collaborating Centre for Malaria, Schistosomiasis and Filariasis, Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, PR China.

Dr Charles Bix Shoemaker, AgResearch Ltd, Wallaceville Animal Research Centre, Upper Hutt, New Zealand.

Professor Honggen Chen, Jiangxi Provincial Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Nanchang, Jiangxi, PR China.

Professor Alain Dessein, INSERM U399, Faculte de Medecine, Marseille, France.

Dr Weiqing Pan, Department of Etiologic Biology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, PR China.

Professor Paul Brindley, Dept Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Professor Marcel Tanner, Director, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland.

Professor Philip Craig, Biology Dept, Salford University, Salford, United Kingdom.

Dr Thanh Hoa Le, Hanoi Institute of Biotechnology, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Dr David Blair, Biology Dept, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.

Professor Remi Olveda, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Manila, Philippines.