Mahalia S. Desruisseaux

Mahalia S. Desruisseaux, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) at Yale School of Medicine and Affiliated Faculty at the Yale Institute for Global Health. She holds leadership roles including Board Member at Yale School of Medicine and Committee Member at the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Her clinical expertise spans infectious diseases and internal medicine, with a focus on parasitic infections such as malaria and Chagas disease.

Education & Training:

• MD: Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
• Residency: Internal Medicine at North Shore University Hospital
• Fellowship: Infectious Diseases at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center

Research Interests: Her laboratory investigates long-term neurological sequelae of cerebral malaria, focusing on vascular dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and blood-brain barrier disruption. Key areas include the role of endothelin-1 and tau protein in disease progression, with translational studies in Malawian pediatric populations. Collaborations include work on convalescent plasma therapies for viral infections and DEI initiatives in medical training.

Publications Trends: Recent work emphasizes clinical trials evaluating convalescent plasma efficacy, immunotherapy strategies for neurological recovery in malaria, and DEI curriculum development in infectious diseases. Her research bridges basic science (animal models) and clinical/translational studies in global health settings.

Awards:

• Bailey K. Ashford Medal (2020)
• Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award (2007)
• IDSA Colin L. Powell Fellowship (2005)

Advocacy & Leadership: Leads diversity initiatives including the ID2EA curriculum and global health research partnerships. Engages in disaster medical relief and professional organization governance.

Labs/Teams: Directs the Desruisseaux Lab at Yale School of Medicine, collaborating with institutions in Malawi and Indiana on cerebral malaria and Chagas disease studies.