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Contact Details

Phone
+64 3 479 7082
Email
b.russell@otago.ac.nz
Position
Professor
Department
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Research summary
Parasitology

Research

Vivax Malaria (or Relapsing Malaria) is the most widely distributed, difficult to diagnose and treat cause of human malaria.

Our laboratory focuses in of the biology of the parasite Plasmodium vivax (the cause of vivax malaria) and how we can kill it using therapeutics or vaccinations.

To do this we have developed key ex vivo tools and methods to examine P. vivax drug susceptibility and reticulocyte invasion. These methods are optimised for use in malaria endemic regions. We also utilise a continuous culture of P. cynomolgi (an excellent model of P. vivax) to study the molecular mechanisms underlying P. vivax pathobiology.

In addition to vivax malaria we also contend research into the biology and epidemiology of protozoal parasites of importance to human health in New Zealand.

Publications

Suwanarusk, R., Chua, A. C. Y., Ezenwanne, C. S., Snounou, G., Malleret, B., Kosaisavee, V., … Russell, B. (2026). First continuous in vitro culture of Plasmodium coatneyi reveals insights into barriers to human infection. International Journal for Parasitology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2026.104892 Journal - Research Article

Lamont, B., Russell, B. M., Suwanarusk, R., Nielsen, J. E., Sørensen, K., Yung, D., … Pletzer, D., & Muhsin-Sharafaldine, M.-R. (2025). Antiparasitic effect of peptoids against Cryptosporidium parvum. Microbiology, 171, 001607. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.001607 Journal - Research Article

Lamont, B., Suwanarusk, R., Yung, D., Barron, A. E., Pletzer, D., Russell, B., & Muhsin-Sharafaldine, M.-R. (2024). Antiparasitic activity of novel peptoids against Cryptosporidium parvum. Proceedings of the Australian and New Zealand Societies for Parasitology and the 7th International Conference on Anaerobic Protists: Parasites in the Pacific. (pp. 57). Retrieved from https://www.parasite.org.au/aspconference/ Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Whitta, S., Lamont, B., Suwanarusk, R., Russell, B. M., & Muhsin-Sharafaldine, M.-R. (2024). Comparative efficacy and safety of anti-cryptosporidial agents: An in vitro study on Nitazoxanide, Halofuginone Lactate, KDU731, and Paromomycin against Cryptosporidium parvum. Frontiers in Microbiology, 15, 1463457. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1463457 Journal - Research Article

Anstey, N. M., Tham, W.-H., Shanks, G. D., Poespoprodjo, J. R., Russell, B. M., & Kho, S. (2024). The biology and pathogenesis of vivax malaria. Trends in Parasitology, 40(7), 573-590. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.04.015 Journal - Research Other

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