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The Institute of Parasitology is proud to announce that Prof. Roger Prichard has been awarded the prestigious Distinguished James ƽÌØÎå²»ÖÐ Professor (DJMP) Award. Introduced in 2017, the DJMP Award serves as an internal recognition of exceptional work and outstanding achievements by faculty members.

Prof. Prichard's dedication to his field and his profound academic contributions have earned him this esteemed accolade. As one of ƽÌØÎå²»ÖÐ's most respected scholars, Prof. Prichard has continually demonstrated his commitment to excellence in research, teaching, and service.

In addition to being awarded the DJMP Award, Prof. Prichard has another milestone to celebrate – 40 years of remarkable dedication to ƽÌØÎå²»ÖÐ. The combination of receiving the DJMP Award and celebrating four decades of service is a testament to Prof. Prichard's enduring legacy and his invaluable contributions to ƽÌØÎå²»ÖÐ and the broader academic community. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Prof. Prichard on these well-deserved honours and express our gratitude for his continued dedication and leadership!

Postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Oksana Kutova, from Prof. Igor Cestari's lab, was interviewed by André Bernard from Radio-Canada. Dr. Kutova discusses the impact of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine on the scientific community. Despite challenges like financial constraints and forced emigration, Ukrainian scientists remain resilient in their pursuit of research excellence. Watch the interview and learn more about their stories on

The Institute of Parasitology at ƽÌØÎå²»ÖÐ is thrilled to announce the addition of two esteemed scholars to its academic faculty. Dr. Melisa Gualdron Lopez and Dr. Lucienne Tritten have recently joined as Assistant Professors, bringing a wealth of expertise and dedication to the field of parasitology.

Dr. Melisa Gualdron Lopez, a Venezuelan scientist, joins the institute with a background as a Research Associate in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. Her expertise lies in the study of parasitic protists, particularly Trypanosomes and Plasmodium parasites. Precisely, her research has been devoted to the study of host-parasite intercellular communication mediated by extracellular vesicles (EVs).
Driven by a goal to establish an independent research group in the EV field of parasitic diseases, Dr. Gualdron Lopez is specifically interested in understanding the functions and regulated secretion of EVs derived from parasites, fetal and maternal cells in the context of placental malaria and Congenital Chagas disease. Her ultimate aim is to develop EV-based therapeutics and diagnostics that can help to contribute to better disease control strategies in this vulnerable population.

Returning to the Institute of Parasitology, Dr. Lucienne Tritten brings with her a wealth of experience. Having spent nearly three years at the institute (2012-2015) conducting postdoctoral research under Prof. Timothy Geary's supervision, Dr. Tritten's dedication to tropical diseases research is profound.
With a background that includes being a Project Leader at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, and the University of Zurich, Switzerland, Dr. Tritten earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Basel in 2012. Her research focuses on the molecular cross-talk between parasitic nematodes and their hosts, emphasizing the roles played by helminth microRNAs and extracellular vesicles in host immunomodulation.
Through international collaborations spanning basic biology to applied research, Dr. Tritten's insights on disrupting the communication between parasite and host contribute significantly to the search for novel control strategies. Her work aligns with the institute's commitment to advancing knowledge for the betterment of human and animal health.
The Institute of Parasitology at ƽÌØÎå²»ÖÐ eagerly anticipates the valuable contributions that Dr. Melisa Gualdron Lopez and Dr. Lucienne Tritten will make to the ongoing research and academic excellence.

ƽÌØÎå²»ÖÐ today announced that 16 of its researchers, including Prof. Jianguo (Jeff) Xia of the Department of Animal Science/Institute of Parasitology, have been included on the Highly Cited Researchersâ„¢ (HCRs) list, as published by Clarivate. To be included in the prestigious list, researchers must rank in the top 1% worldwide for their fields and publications in the Web of Science index. In being named to this list, these ƽÌØÎå²»ÖÐians join a cohort of 6,849 individuals around the world who have all been recognized for their academic contributions.

Qian Liu, PhD, received the award for her project, Single-molecule interactions between Nipah virus and the interferon-induced transmembrane proteins. .

Please join the Macdonald Campus community in congratulating Qian Liu, Associate Professor in the Institute of Parasitology for her winning submission.
Dr. Liu's project will study Nipah virus to increase scientific understanding of how viruses infect cells and how the cell's innate immune defenses fight novel viral infections, knowledge which is critical to developing intervention strategies against emerging viral diseases. Nipah virus can be transmitted from animals to humans or from human to human and has a mortality rate of 40-70%. It is listed in the WHO blueprint priority diseases for research and development because of its epidemic potential and lack of countermeasures. This research will provide new insights into the subtle mechanisms of Nipah virus infection and interferon-induced transmembrane proteins, which restrict the virus' entry into our cells. Read more here.

Dean Anja Geitmann is pleased to announce that Professor Petra Rohrbach has accepted the position of Director of Space on the Macdonald Campus effective June 16, 2022 for a five-year term. As part of her mandate, Professor Rohrbach will serve, amongst other things, as Chair of the Macdonald Sub-committee on Physical Facilities and Building Director of the Macdonald-Stewart/Raymond/Barton complex. She has been a member of the academic staff in the Institute of Parasitology since 2008.

Read the full article on The Globe and Mail's website by clicking , or view the PDF version here

Congrats to Professor Prichard who was named an Unsung Hero as part of the #ƽÌØÎå²»ÖÐ200 Bicentennial Celebrations!

ƽÌØÎå²»ÖÐ has joined Moderna’s mRNA Access program, which aims to accelerate innovation and enable new vaccines and medicines for emerging and neglected infectious diseases through collaborative research and preclinical development. ƽÌØÎå²»ÖÐ is the first university in Canada to join this program as it ramps up its international rollout.

Treatment for parasitic infections
Another avenue enabled by the platform is the development of mRNA medicines against parasitic infections, such as Cryptosporidiosis – of which a major outbreak occurred in the USA in 1993 – or Schistosomiasis, a water-borne pathogen that affects more than 250 million people and threatens almost 1 billion people worldwide. These and other parasites are the focus of Momar Ndao, a Professor in the Department of Medicine and a Principal Investigator of the Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program (MI4), Research Institute of the ƽÌØÎå²»ÖÐ Health Centre.