معرفی
Dr. Virginia Howick is a LKAS Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow, specializing in host-parasite interactions and malaria transmission dynamics. She holds a BSc in Microbiology and Genetics from the University of Minnesota, a PhD in Entomology from Cornell University, and completed postdoctoral work at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Her research focuses on understanding how parasite genetic variation and vector species influence malaria transmission, leveraging single-cell transcriptomics technologies. Key contributions include developing the Malaria Cell Atlas and investigating transmission-blocking interventions. Current projects explore parasite adaptation strategies in diverse vector species using genomic and transcriptomic approaches.
Research interests span malaria parasite lifecycle biology, vector competence, and applying single-cell technologies to infectious disease systems. Her work integrates ecological, genetic, and molecular perspectives to inform targeted disease control strategies.
Grants include Wellcome Trust funding (2020-2025) for genomic prediction of malaria transmission in divergent mosquito species. She supervises student Mimi Cox on vector-parasite interactions research. Active collaborations involve groups at the Sanger Institute, University of Glasgow's Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, and international malaria research networks.
