Timothy J.C. Anderson

Timothy J.C. Anderson, Ph.D. is a Professor at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute and leads the Anderson Lab, which focuses on parasite genetic variation and evolution with emphasis on malaria and schistosome parasites. He serves as Program Co-lead for Disease Intervention & Prevention at Texas Biomedical Research Institute and is affiliated with the Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics.

Dr. Anderson's research centers on understanding the genetic basis and evolution of biomedically important traits in human parasites. His laboratory uses population genomics methods to investigate drug resistance, host specificity, and other evolutionary dynamics in malaria parasites and schistosomes. Current research interests include artemisinin resistance in Southeast Asian malaria parasites, copy number variation in Plasmodium, within-host dynamics of malaria infections, and application of linkage mapping and exome sequencing for Schistosome parasites. His lab maintains the full lifecycle of schistosome parasites and utilizes advanced techniques including genome sequencing, RNAseq, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, and evolutionary genetics.

Analysis of Dr. Anderson's recent publications reveals a strong focus on the genetic mechanisms underlying drug resistance in both malaria and schistosomiasis. His work combines field studies in Southeast Asia and Africa with laboratory genetic crosses, bulk-segregant analysis, and genome-wide association studies. A growing emphasis appears in his recent work on microbiome interactions with parasite transmission and the application of single-cell transcriptomics to understand sporocyst biology in schistosomes.

Dr. Anderson has established numerous international collaborations with researchers in Southeast Asia (malaria) and Africa (schistosomes), as well as with colleagues in London, France, Kenya, Uganda, and Brazil. His laboratory has pioneered the use of genetic crosses between schistosomes to identify the genetic basis of biomedically important parasite traits. The lab maintains complete parasite lifecycles using snail intermediate hosts and rodent models, and employs advanced genomic technologies including Nanopore long-read sequencing to enhance genetic mapping capabilities.

The Anderson Lab investigates how parasite variation and evolution—including drug resistance, vaccine escape, immune evasion, and host shifts—present central obstacles to parasite control. By better understanding these evolutionary processes, Dr. Anderson's research aims to develop more efficient control strategies for these devastating parasitic diseases that affect hundreds of millions worldwide.