The Lab
The Ingham lab works on characterising insecticide resistance in major malaria vectors and addresses how this phenotype or exposure to insecticides impacts Plasmodium development. Below you will find information of the team, past and present.
Dr Victoria Ingham
Group Leader
I completed a MA in Biological sciences at Magdalen College, Oxford in 2011. I then went on to do an MSc in Systems biology at the University of Warwick. I completed my PhD early in 2016 as a collaboration between Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and University of Warwick, working on novel mechanisms for insecticide resistance; this involved both extensive bioinformatics and lab work. I then did an 18-month post-doc in Prof Hilary Ranson's group at LSTM, continuing work from my PhD. In November 2017 I was awarded an MRC Skills Development Fellowship to continue the work on characterisation of novel mechanisms of insecticide resistance at LSTM. Within this fellowship I further developed my bioinformatics skills through handling of whole genome sequence data. In November 2020 I was awarded a DZIF Fellowship to start my own lab group within the Parasitology Unit at Heidelberg University Hospital to continue research into insecticide resistance and extend the scope of this work to look at how this phenotype might impact vector competence through an impact on the developing malaria parasite. We currently work with partners in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guatemala and Nicaragua to continue this work. I am supported by funding from DZIF, an ERC starting grant, BMGF and a DFG collaborative network, SFB1129.
The Team
Below are the current and previous team members, with a short description of their respective projects
Julia Mäurer
Technician
Julia joined the group in October 2022 and provides support in rearing mosquitoes, culturing of Plasmodium falciparum and general administration, including ordering and arranging services.
Dr Wasim Hussain
Postdoctoral Researcher
Wasim works on a BMGF grant exploring the impact of insecticide exposure on the redox state of mosquito cell lines and transcriptional interaction between pyrethroid insecticides and chlorfenapyr. Prior to joining the lab in Feb 2023, Wasim worked in Glasgow on Toxoplasma mitochondrial redox biology
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Rhiannon A. E. Logan
PhD Student
Rhiannon joined the lab in January 2021 to complete a DZIF funded PhD in characterisation of a novel enzyme class involved in insecticide resistance. She is also looking at the impact of the insecticide resistance phenotype on Plasmodium falciparum development. Prior to moving to Heidelberg, Rhiannon worked at LSTM for 6 years as an RA.
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Patrick Hörner
PhD Student
Patrick joined the lab in June 2021 and began his DZIF funded PhD looking at how insecticide resistance and exposure impact the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and how this influences Plasmodium falciparum developement.
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Antonia L. Böhmert
PhD Student
Antonia began her PhD in July 2022 on the SFB1129 project looking at how insecticides impact sporozoite biology. Antonia primarily works with Plasmodium berghei to adapt assays performed within the Parasitology Unit to answer questions about insecticide impact on the develoing parasite.
Juan Carlos Lol
PhD Student
Carlos joined the group in October 2022 on a DAAD fellowship to complte his PhD. Carlos will work on insecticide resistance in the Central American vector Anopheles albimanus and how this impacrt Plasmodium vivax development in Guatemala and Nicaragua
Natalie Portwood
PhD Student
Natalie began her PhD in March 2023 on the BMGF project looking at if and how Chlofrenapyr impacts parasite biology across the whole life cycle. Natalie's PhD will be in close collaboration with BASF, who produce the IG2 bed net containing both alpha-cypermethrin and Chlorfenapyr.
Alumni
Dr Harsha Reddy
Postdoctoral Researcher
Harsha joined the group for a year funded by SFB1129 to screen in vitro impacts of insecticide exposure on P. berghei sporozoites. He also designed flourescent pyrethroid analogs for use in SFB1129. Harsha left in Oct 2022 to Baylor College of Medicine, Texas.