Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute

19:04

Could groundbreaking vaccine help eliminate malaria?

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2026/10/05

For decades, scientists pursued one goal: a vaccine that could prevent the disease. But malaria is caused by a complex parasite, making vaccine development far more challenging than for most infectious diseases. One scientist dedicated his career to this challenge. Sir Adrian Hill of the University of Oxford witnessed children dying from malaria in Gambia in the late 1980s and set out to develop a vaccine that could save lives where it was needed most. For this work, he received the European

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08:56

Malaria drug revolution

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2026/08/18

Chris talks with Dr. Justin Boddey from Melbourne's WEHI about a promising new way to halt malaria, and make people immune at the same time.

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08:53

Sickle cell defeated malaria and opened up pastures new

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2026/07/14

Host Chris Smith speaks with Andrea Manica, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Cambridge, about what our ancient ancestors can teach us about grappling with malaria.

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15:19

Half a million years of malaria and its control, with...

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2026/06/04

Chris speaks with Sonia Shah, author of The Fever, about the history of malaria and human efforts to control it.

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10:10

Malaria in Africa -- Guest: Emory University malaria...

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2026/05/21

Why the continent accounts for the overwhelming majority of cases.

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08:54

Driven to End Malaria: World Malaria Day 2026

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2026/04/24

World Malaria Day 2026 is marked under the theme Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can. Now We Must.

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30:24

The Naked Scientists' "Titans of Science" Series:...

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2026/03/03

Professor Jane Carlton is director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute. Dr. Chris Smith of the Naked Scientists interviews Jane about her research, her career and the future of malaria.

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11:19

EXTENDED: Baby Wraps and Malaria – A New Tool to...

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2025/11/18

In sub-Saharan Africa, mothers often carry their babies on their backs in colorful cotton wraps called lesu. Could treating these wraps with insecticide help prevent malaria? Dr. Ross Boyce discusses a groundbreaking study in Uganda showing that permethrin-treated wraps significantly reduce malaria in infants – and further, what this could mean for protecting the youngest and most vulnerable children from this often fatal disease.

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01:29

Insecticide-Treated Baby Wraps Cut Malaria Cases by...

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2025/11/11

A new study in rural western Uganda finds that treating baby-carrying cloths, or lesu, with an insecticide with modest repellent effect significantly reduces malaria infections in young children. Transcript In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, mothers carry their young children on their backs in colorful cotton wraps called lesu. Could treating these cloths with insecticide reduce malaria transmission? A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine explored this question in rural western

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07:38

EXTENDED: Boosting Mosquito Immunity to Fight Malaria...

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2025/10/31

Too much can kill the mosquito — too little can also kill it. But the right amount can strengthen the mosquito's defenses and stop malaria transmission. Today, the Goldilocks dose. Emma Camacho shares how a natural compound called L-DOPA strengthens mosquitoes' defenses at just the right concentration, revealing a new way to block malaria transmission.

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01:19

The Goldilocks Dose: Modulating Mosquito Diet to...

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2025/09/09

Feeding mosquitoes L-DOPA can either strengthen their defences against malaria or shorten their lifespan — showing that in vector control, the dose makes the difference Transcript As with all medicine, the dose determines whether something helps or harms. Researchers recently looked at a substance commonly found in mosquito habitats that might form part of their diet. It’s called L-3-4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, or L-DOPA. Mosquitoes use it as a source of melanin. At low doses – up to a concentration

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10:45

SPECIAL: Hackathons for Malaria Genetic Epidemiology...

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2025/08/29

How do you turn vast amounts of genetic data into actionable insight – efficiently and accurately? Professor Bryan Greenhouse of UCSF discusses a series of “hackathons” at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI) that bring together scientists from around the world to tackle one of the biggest challenges in malaria research: analyzing parasite genetics. By developing open-source tools, workflows, and training resources, these collaborations are making cutting-edge analysis more

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11:33

EXTENDED: From River Blindness to Malaria Control –...

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2025/08/19

In Kwale, Kenya, where bed nets alone can’t stop malaria, researchers are testing ivermectin – a drug long used to treat parasitic infections – as a new way to kill mosquitoes. Trials show a 26% drop in malaria cases and added benefits against other mosquito-borne diseases, suggesting ivermectin could be a scalable, community-driven tool in the fight against insecticide resistance. With Carlos Chaccour (researcher at the Navarra Center for International Development) and Joseph Mwangangi

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01:31

Ivermectin’s Potential in the Fight Against Malaria

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2025/08/05

A new study in Kenya shows that mass drug administration of ivermectin safely reduced malaria cases by 26%, offering a promising supplement to insecticide-based prevention. Transcript Bed nets and insecticides are commonly used to prevent malaria transmission. But insecticide resistance is making those tools less effective. There’s a growing interest in ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug normally used to treat neglected tropical diseases such as river blindness or scabies, that is also capable

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13:33

EXTENDED: The Turning Point – What Drives Malaria to...

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2025/07/29

Focusing on patients in Mali, researchers examine why some children develop life-threatening complications like cerebral malaria or severe malarial anemia. With Mark Travassos (University of Maryland School of Medicine), Mahamadou Ali Thera (University of Science Techniques and Technologies of Bamako), and Rafal Sobota (Northwestern University). About The Podcast The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria

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01:27

What Severe Malaria Cases Have In Common

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2025/07/15

Although severe malaria presents in different clinical forms – such as cerebral malaria or severe malarial anemia – a new study reveals that all severe cases have one thing in common: a shared inflammatory signature Transcript Whilst most cases of malaria are mild, some take a dangerous turn. In severe cases, the malaria parasite can overwhelm the body, disrupting the blood-brain barrier and leading to cerebral malaria, or destroying so many red blood cells that it triggers life-threatening anemia

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08:13

EXTENDED: Curing the Mosquito – Bed Nets That Target...

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2025/06/24

Dr. Alexandra Probst discusses a breakthrough in malaria prevention: bed nets coated with anti-parasitic drugs that stop transmission by curing infected mosquitoes. With Alexandra Probst, former graduate student at Harvard University. About The Podcast The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.

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01:16

Bed Nets That Target Parasites, Not Just Mosquitoes

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2025/06/10

How next-generation bed nets could stop malaria by killing the parasites inside mosquitoes, not just the mosquitoes themselves. Transcript Bed nets have long been a cornerstone of vector control. Coated with insecticide, they serve a dual purpose: preventing bites and killing mosquitoes. But what if those nets could do more – not only kill the mosquitoes, but for those they don’t kill because of increasing insecticide resistance, at least kill the parasites hidden inside them? Researchers assembled

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05:19

EXTENDED: Why Malaria Vaccines May Work Better in...

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2025/05/28

The extent to which malaria vaccines reduce cases and deaths is a key consideration. But there’s another factor, too. with Dr. Lemu Golassa, Head of Medical Parasitology at Addis Ababa University. About The Podcast The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.

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01:33

Mismatch Between Malaria Vaccines and Local Parasite...

Johns Hopkins Mosquito Minute ·

2025/05/15

A recent study in Ethiopia reveals that local malaria parasite strains differ genetically from those targeted by current vaccines, potentially reducing their effectiveness. Transcript The recent introduction of two malaria vaccines in sub-Saharan Africa represents a major success in global health, and the culmination of decades of research and development. The two jabs – RTS,S and R21 – target a protein on the surface of the malaria parasite as it enters the skin, called the circumsporozoite

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