Epidemiological surveys in India and marine natural product drug discovery for malaria

Abstract

This dissertation discusses malaria epidemiology, pathogenesis, and drug discovery projects. Chapter 1 presents background on malaria, its lifecycle, the history of antimalarials and development of resistance, and the Malaria Evolution in South Asia International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research. Chapter 2 details demographic and clinical profiles of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax patients at a tertiary hospital in the southwestern state of Goa, India. Chapter 3 presents a dynamic cohort study conducted in seven remote villages of the northeastern state of Assam, India and the impact of longitudinal malaria diagnosis and treatment on the remote tribal population. Chapter 4 details the bioactivity of a secondary metabolite of a marine symbiotic bacterium against sexual and asexual Plasmodium falciparum. The work presented in this dissertation demonstrates how aspects of different scientific disciplines may be utilized in combination to better understand the biology and community impacts of a major infectious disease and to respond to the urgent need for new antimicrobials.