معرفی
Dr. Sumi Biswas is an Associate Professor at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, leading malaria transmission-blocking vaccine research at the Jenner Institute. Her work spans preclinical design through Phase 1 clinical trials in collaboration with industrial partners including GSK, Imaxio, and ExpreS2ion.
Her research focuses on interrupting malaria transmission by targeting sexual-stage parasite development in mosquitoes. Key platforms include recombinant proteins, virus-like particles, simian adenovirus (ChAd63) and poxvirus (MVA) vectors expressing Pfs25-IMX313 fusions, and nanoparticle vaccines. The group conducts immunogenicity and ex vivo efficacy testing with strong field connections in Kenya and Burkina Faso.
Recent publications demonstrate structural vaccinology breakthroughs for malaria antigens (RH5, Pfs48/45), revealing how stabilized designs induce superior functional antibodies. Her work extends to viral vector platforms for SARS-CoV-2 and Rift Valley Fever, emphasizing capsid engineering for enhanced immunity.
Scientific recognition includes:
- Grand Challenge Explorations grant award
Dr. Biswas secures major grant funding for translational vaccine development, managing GMP manufacturing pipelines and clinical trial partnerships. Her endemic-country collaborations enable field validation of transmission-blocking candidates, bridging laboratory discoveries to real-world impact.
Based at Oxford's Old Road Campus Research Building, her laboratory operates within the Jenner Institute ecosystem alongside the Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine. The team maintains insectary facilities for mosquito-feeding studies and GFP-expressing parasite lines, with active partnerships in Kilifi (Kenya) and Burkina Faso for clinical evaluation.
