Kim A. Piera

Pfcrt copy number amplification detected in a Plasmodium falciparum outbreak

The paper identifies pfcrt copy number amplification as a new antimalarial resistance mechanism in Plasmodium falciparum and develops a TaqMan assay for its detection.

Splenic tropism of Plasmodium vivax in acute infection and spleen-attenuated systemic inflammation

This study compares parasite biomass in spleen-intact and splenectomized patients with acute P. vivax malaria, finding that 89% of total-body parasite biomass is splenic.

Integrative genomics of Plasmodium knowlesi reveals parasite-intrinsic regulators of severe human malaria

This study identifies parasite-intrinsic transcriptional programs associated with severe P. knowlesi malaria through integrative GWAS, transcriptomic, and eQTL analyses of clinical isolates.

Mapping the global distribution and spread of the Plasmodium vivax-associated virus MaRNAV-1

The paper maps the geographic distribution and host associations of MaRNAV-1, a virus linked to Plasmodium vivax, using metatranscriptomic data.

Age is an intrinsic driver of inflammatory responses to malaria

The paper investigates age-related differences in inflammatory responses to malaria, finding that adults exhibit heightened inflammatory cytokine production and distinct transcriptional responses compared to children.

Genomic epidemiology of Plasmodium knowlesi reveals putative genetic drivers of adaptation in Malaysia.

The paper analyzes P. knowlesi genomes from Sabah, Malaysia, to identify genetic subpopulations and introgression events linked to environmental factors and host adaptation.

A virus associated with the zoonotic pathogen Plasmodium knowlesi causing human malaria is a member of a diverse and unclassified viral taxon

The paper identifies a novel RNA virus in zoonotic Plasmodium knowlesi isolates, showing it belongs to an unclassified viral taxon called ormycoviruses.