Advances in Basic and Translational Research as Part of the Center for the Study of Complex Malaria in India

The Center for the Study of Complex Malaria in India (CSCMi) is one of 10 International Centers of Excel-lence in Malaria Research funded by the National Institutes of Health since 2010. The Center combines innovative research with capacity building and technology transfer to undertake studies with clinical and translational impact that will move malaria control in India toward the ultimate goal of malaria elimination/eradication. A key element of each research site in the four states of India (Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Odisha, and Meghalaya) has been undertaking community -and clinic-based epidemiology projects to characterize the burden of malaria in the region. Demographic and clinical data and samples collected during these studies have been used in downstream projects on, for example, the wide-spread use of mosquito repellants, the population genomics of Plasmodium vivax, and the serological responses to P. vivax and Plasmodium falciparum antigens that reflect past or present exposure. A focus has been studying the patho-genesis of severe malaria caused by P. falciparum through magnetic resonance imaging of cerebral malaria patients. Here we provide a snapshot of some of the basic and applied research the CSCMi has undertaken over the past 12 years and indicate the further research and/or clinical and translational impact these studies have had.

Automated summary

The Center for the Study of Complex Malaria in India (CSCMi) is a renowned institution in the field of malaria research, working towards the ultimate goal of malaria elimination/eradication in India through innovative research, capacity building, and technology transfer. The Center has conducted community and clinic-based epidemiology projects in four states of India to characterize the burden of malaria in the region, and has utilized the collected data and samples for downstream projects on various aspects of malaria.