Associate Prof James McCarthy

Position: Head, Clinical Tropical Medicine
Major area of interest: Human helminth infection

Indonesia
Dr Tania Supali University of Indonesia - Jakarta
I have a grant from the Australian Department of Industry Science and Technology to undertake the study of vaccine candidates in human lymphatic filariasis. This project is centered on the island of Alor in Eastern Indonesia

India
I have collaborative research links with Professor P Kaliraj based at Anna University Chenai India. We have jointly supervised a PhD student who has characterised a promising vaccine candidate for the lymphatic filariasis, and he has gone on to establish protection in an animal model of 75%.

Papua New Guinea
Dr Moses Bockarie and I have a research proposal out for review at the moment to study prospectively the effect of the implementation of programs for control of lymphatic filariasis. The specific objective of this research project is to monitor the effect of wide spread chemotherapy with albendazole on the sensitivity of gastrointestinal helminths. The hypothesis is that this program will lead to the development of drug resistance.

Northern Territory
Professor Bart Currie and I have a collaborative project investigating the morbidity attributable to gut parasite infections in indigenous Australians, and approaches to control at a community level. We also have begun a project in collaboration with Professor David Kemp studying drug resistance in scabies.