The paper investigates the association between host sickle cell haemoglobin and parasite genetic variation in malaria severity, finding that parasite alleles linked to HbS show strong linkage disequilibrium and frequency covariation with HbS.

Nature · Dec 9, 2021Peer-reviewedGenetics

Improving statistical power in severe malaria genetic association studies by augmenting phenotypic precision

James A Watson, Carolyne Ndila, Sophie M. Uyoga, Alexander W. Macharia, Gideon Nyutu, Shebe Mohammed, Caroline Ngetsa, Neema Mturi, Norbert M. Peshu, Benjamin Tsofa, Kirk A. Rockett, Stije J. Leopold, Hugh W. F. Kingston, Elizabeth C. George, Kathryn Maitland, , Nicholas John White

The paper improves statistical power in severe malaria genetic studies by addressing phenotypic imprecision through a probabilistic diagnostic model and data-tilting approach.

eLife · Jul 5, 2021Peer-reviewedGenetics

New insights into malaria susceptibility from the genomes of 17,000 individuals from Africa, Asia, and Oceania

Malaria Genomic Epidemiology Network, Gavin Band, Si Quang Le, Geraldine M Clarke, Katja Kivinen, Christina Hubbart, Anna E. Jeffreys, Kate Rowlands, Ellen Miranda Leffler, Muminatou Jallow, David J. Conway, Fatoumatta Sisay-Joof, Giorgio Sirugo, Umberto D’Alessandro, Ousmane Touré, , Dominic P. Kwiatkowski

This study identifies five genome-wide associations with severe malaria risk in 17,000 individuals from Africa, Asia, and Oceania, including a new variant linked to cerebral malaria.

Nature Communications · Dec 16, 2019Peer-reviewedGenetics

Resistance to malaria through structural variation of red blood cell invasion receptors

Ellen Miranda Leffler, Gavin Band, George Busby, Katja Kivinen, Si Quang Le, Geraldine M Clarke, Kalifa Bojang, David J. Conway, Muminatou Jallow, Fatoumatta Sisay-Joof, Edith C. Christiane Bougouma, Valentina Dianora Mangano, David Modiano, Sodiomon Bienvenu Sirima, Eric Akum Achidi, , Malaria Genomic Epidemiology Network

The paper identifies a structural variant in GYPA and GYPB genes associated with reduced risk of severe malaria in sub-Saharan African populations.

Science · May 18, 2017Peer-reviewedGenomics

Admixture into and within sub-Saharan Africa

George Busby, Gavin Band, Quang Si Le, Muminatou Jallow, Edith Bougama, Valentina Mangano, Lucas Amenga-Etego, Anthony Emil, Tobias Apinjoh, Carolyne Ndila, Alphaxard Manjurano, Vysaul Nyirongo, Ogobara Doumbo, Kirk Rockett, Domnic Kwiatkowski, , The Malaria Genomic Epidemiology Network

This study analyzes admixture patterns in 48 African populations, revealing recent gene flow and shared ancestry due to historical migrations and agricultural expansions.

bioRxiv · Feb 15, 2016Genomics