Dr. Raj, an Assistant Professor at Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, USA. During his years of research on malaria, which includes the postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Health and Brown University, USA, he achieved several recognition and awards. A specialist in molecular parasitology, his research interests include the drug and vaccine discovery against falciparum malaria. In 2009, he identified the PfMDR-1 gene responsible for drug-resistant malaria. His group has successfully identified a drug name Ketotifen in 2010, which blocks the malaria transmission in animal models and is in the human trial. In 2014, a team of researchers led by Dr. Raj and Dr. Kurtis of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital had identified a malaria vaccine candidate (PfSEA-1). He has won numerous awards for his research, including the New Investigator awards in 2011 by Lifespan, USA. Dr. Raj's recent research work on a malaria vaccine published in the journal "Science" in 2014, "CID" in 2019 and in "Nature," 2020. Leading newspapers and magazines throughout the world, including Washington Post Forbes, Times, and BBC, covered his research overview. He has several high-impact publications and patents to his credit. Currently, he is leading a research group specialized in the identification of pediatric vaccines against malaria.
| Nixon, Christian P, Nixon, Christina E, Michelow, Ian C, Silva-Viera, Rayna A, Colantuono, Bonnie, Obeidallah, Aisha S, Jha, Ambrish, Dockery, Dominique, Raj, Dipak, Park, Sangshin, Duffy, Patrick E, Kurtis, Jonathan D. "Antibodies to PfsEGXP, an Early Gametocyte-Enriched Phosphoprotein, Predict Decreased Plasmodium falciparum Gametocyte Density in Humans." The Journal of Infectious Diseases, vol. 218, no. 11, 2018, pp. 1792-1801. |
| Raj DK, Kurtis JD, Michelow IC, Park S, Nixon CE, McDonald EA, Nixon CP, Pond-Tor S, Jha A, Taliano RJ, Kabyemela ER, Friedman JF, Duffy PE, Fried M. "Maternally derived antibodies to Schizont Egress Antigen-1 and protection of infants from severe malaria." Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2018. |
| Nixon CE, Park S, Pond-Tor S, Raj DK, Lambert LE, Orr-Gonzalez S, Barnafo EK, Rausch KM, Friedman JF, Fried M, Duffy PE, Kurtis JD. "Identification of Protective B-Cell Epitopes within the Novel Malaria Vaccine Candidate Plasmodium falciparum Schizont Egress Antigen 1." Clinical Vaccine Immunology, vol. 5, no. 24, 2017, pp. 7. |
| Raj, D.K., Nixon, C., Pond-Torl, S., Kurtis, J. "Antibodies to plasmodium falciparum glutamic acid rich protein (PfGARP) inhibit parasite growth by arresting trophozoite development." International Journal of Infectious Diseases, vol. 45, 2016, pp. 377. |
| Raj DK, Nixon CP, Nixon CE, Dvorin JD, DiPetrillo CG, Pond-Tor S, Wu HW, Jolly G, Pischel L, Lu A, Michelow IC, Cheng L, Conteh S, McDonald EA, Absalon S, Holte SE, Friedman JF, Fried M, Duffy PE, Kurtis JD. "Antibodies to PfSEA-1 block parasite egress from RBCs and protect against malaria infection." Science, vol. 344, no. 6186, 2014, pp. 871-7. |
| Eastman RT, Pattaradilokrat S, Raj DK, Dixit S, Deng B, Miura K, Yuan J, Tanaka TQ, Johnson RL, Jiang H, Huang R, Williamson KC, Lambert LE, Long C, Austin CP, Wu Y, Su XZ. "A class of tricyclic compounds blocking malaria parasite oocyst development and transmission." Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, vol. 57, no. 1, 2013, pp. 425-35. |
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Kurtis J, Duffy P, Christian N, Raj DK, Friedman J, Fried M.
"VACCINE FOR FALCIPARUM MALARIA." 2013.
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Raj DK, Su XZ, Pattaradilokart S, Jonshon R, Huang R, Su XZ.
"COMPOUND THAT TREAT MALARIA AND PREVENT MALARIA TRANSMISSION." 2012.
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Su XZ, Yuan J, Raj DK, Pattaradilokart S, Jonshon R and Huang R.
"COMPOUND THAT TREAT MALARIA AND PREVENT MALARIA TRANSMISSION." 2011.
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| Raj DK, Mu J, Jiang H, Kabat J, Singh S, Sullivan M, Fay MP, McCutchan TF, Su XZ. "Disruption of a Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance-associated protein (PfMRP) alters its fitness and transport of antimalarial drugs and glutathione." Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 284, no. 12, 2009, pp. 7687-96. |
| Mishra K, Raj DK, Hazra RK, Dash AP, Supakar PC. "The development and evaluation of a single step multiplex PCR method for simultaneous detection of Brugia malayi and Wuchereria bancrofti." Molecular and cellular probes, vol. 21, no. 5-6, 2007, pp. 355-62. |
| Mishra S, Raj DK, Hazra RK, Dash AP, Supakar PC. "An efficient PCR--SSCP-based method for detection of a chloroquine resistance marker in the PfCRT gene of Plasmodium falciparum." Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, vol. 100, no. 3, 2006, pp. 243-7. |
| Mishra K, Kumar Raj D, Hazra RK, Dash AP. "A simple, artificial-membrane feeding method for the radio-isotope labelling of Aedes aegypti polypeptides in vivo." Annals of tropical medicine and parasitology, vol. 99, no. 8, 2005, pp. 803-6. |
| Mishra K, Raj DK, Dash AP, Hazra RK. "Combined detection of Brugia malayi and Wuchereria bancrofti using single PCR." Acta tropica, vol. 93, no. 3, 2005, pp. 233-7. |
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Raj, D. K.; Sasmita Mishra; Das, B. R.; Dash, A. P.
"Plasmodium falciparum Pfs25 gene promoter has no polymorphism in natural isolates of Eastern India." Acta Protozoologica, vol. 44, no. 4, 2005, pp. 289-292.
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| Raj DK, Das BR, Dash AP, Supakar PC. "Genetic diversity in the merozoite surface protein 1 gene of Plasmodium falciparum in different malaria-endemic localities." The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, vol. 71, no. 3, 2004, pp. 285-9. |
| Raj DK, Das BR, Dash AP, Supakar PC. "Identification of a rare point mutation at C-terminus of merozoite surface antigen-1 gene of Plasmodium falciparum in eastern Indian isolates." Experimental parasitology, vol. 106, no. 1-2, 2004, pp. 45-9. |
| Raj DK, Das BR, Dash AP, Supakar PC. "Identification of telomerase activity in gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum." Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, vol. 309, no. 3, 2003, pp. 685-8. |
Through the Center for International Health Research (CIHR) we work to understand the mechanisms that cause tropical infectious diseases, specifically malaria and schistosomiasis, and to harness this knowledge to discover new vaccine candidates. We are actively persuading several projects on malaria vaccine candidates identified in our lab. The CIHR embraces interdisciplinary approaches by linking basic lab science with cutting edge population-based science. It is this approach that makes the center unique in Rhode Island and Southern New England area of USA
The goal of our division is to identify new vaccine targets against pediatric falciparum malaria. We have verities of genetic and molecular biology tools and techniques designed for the malaria parasite to identify antibodies responsible for disease resistant in children. Our laboratory using phase display techniques to allow high throughput screening of antigens using cDNA library generated from the malaria parasite. We have successfully identified two novel antigens (PfSEA-1a and PfGARP), which are in various stages of trial in animal models with an ultimate goal of a vaccine against pediatric malaria.
1. Rhode Island Foundation Raj (PI) 04/15/2017-09/30/2018, Evaluation of vaccine potential for five malaria antigens identified in disease-resistant children
Role: PI
2. R01 5R01AI076353 09/15/2014-09/31/2019 PfSEA-1 based vaccines for falciparum malaria
Role: Co-investigator; I participated in experiment design, implementation and data interpretation.
3. COBRE Pilot Project P20GM1043-12 Raj (PI) 06/15/2015-05/31/2016 Evaluation of PfCDPK-5 as pediatric malaria vaccine
Role: PI
4. R01 5R01AI076353 Kurtis (PI) 08/01/2009-08/31/2014 Targeted vaccine development for pediatric falciparum malaria.
Goal: Develop vaccine against childhood malaria for which other therapies are inadequate.
Role: Co-investigator; I participated in experiment design, implementation, data interpretation and manuscript Preparation.
PATENTS
BOOKS AND BOOK CHAPTERS
Raj DK & Sobti RC. Carbohydrate Antigens. Biotech Bulletin, 1998:( 6) 17-27.
MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION
Raj DK, Nixon CE, Dvorin JD, Pond-Tor S, Wu HW, Jolly G, Cheng L, McDonald EA, Friedman JF, Fried M, Duffy PE and Kurtis JD. Antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum glutamic acid rich protein (PfGARP) inhibit parasite growth by arresting trophozoite development.
ABSTRACTS
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | PhD | Utkal University |
| 1996 | BS | Utkal University |
Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Institute of Health, USA, 2005-2010
New Investigator award, Lifespan, Providence USA, 2011
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Friedman, Jennifer | Professor of Pediatrics, Professor of Epidemiology |
| Kurtis, Jonathan | Stanley M. Aronson Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Director of the MD-PhD Program |
| Michelow, Ian | Associate Professor of Pediatrics |
| Nixon, Christian | Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine |
Research Scientist, Rhode Island Hospital
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
