Neutrophil extracellular killing and chronic inflammation in severely malnourished children

To date, there is still no licenced malaria vaccine, with the most promising vaccine showing partial efficacy. Numerous potential candidates have been identified, but poor understanding of the effector mechanisms that underlie naturally-acquired or vaccine-induced immunity impede rational vaccine candidate selection, prioritisation and evaluation. Dennis aims toexamine the association between antibody-mediated neutrophil phagocytosis (oxygen-independent), oxidative burst (oxygen-dependent) function and clinical protection from malaria episodes in a cohort of children (aged 2–12 years) living in a malaria-endemic area. This work contributes to a larger programme of research led by Professor Faith Osier. Understanding these mechanisms contributes not only to the identification of potential immune correlates that inform malaria vaccine design, but also provides tools for evaluating novel candidates in pre-clinical studies.

This grant was awarded under the scheme's previous name of Master's Fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine.