Our primary research interest is in the biology, pathogenesis and immunology of Plasmodium falciparum. Patients infected with this parasite can be completely asymptomatic or develop severe disease resulting in death. The goal of our research has been to define the molecular mechanisms that underlie this variation in disease outcomes in P. falciparum. Toward this goal, we have developed a new pathogenesis model through the analysis of in vivo parasite biology and associated host factors using a whole genome and metabolomic approach. We have identified novel parasite biology when it resides in the human host and idnetified a putative mediator of coma in cerebral malaria.  We also are studying adjunctive therapy to improve outcomes in severe malaria using the animal model.   We carry out field based translational studies in cohorts infected with malaria in Africa and test hypothesis in the animal model of malaria.  The long term goal is to identify parasite and host processes involved in disease to serve as targets for vaccine or chemotherapeutic development.

Our group also conducts studies to characterize the effect of COVID-19 on brain function in collaboration with Dr. Michael Liptons group and identifying patients with other emerging viral infections in collaboration with Drs Chandran and Lai's group.

Keswani T, Obeidallah A, Nieves E, Sidoli S, Fazzari M, Taylor T, Seydel K, Daily JP. Pipecolic Acid, a Putative Mediator of the Encephalopathy of Cerebral Malaria and the Experimental Model of Cerebral Malaria. J Infect Dis. 2022 Feb 15;225(4):705-714. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiab615. PMID: 34932816; PMCID: PMC8844588.

Mita-Mendoza NK, Magallon-Tejada A, Parmar P, Furtado R, Aldrich M, Saidi A, Taylor T, Smith J, Seydel K, Daily JP. Dimethyl fumarate reduces TNF and Plasmodium falciparum induced brain endothelium activation in vitro. Malar J. 2020 Oct 21;19(1):376. doi: 10.1186/s12936-020-03447-7. PMID: 33087130; PMCID: PMC7579885.

Chen V, Daily JP. Tafenoquine: the new kid on the block. Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2019 Oct;32(5):407-412. doi: 10.1097/QCO.0000000000000574. PMID: 31305490.

Lasso G, Khan S, Allen SA, Mariano M, Florez C, Orner EP, Quiroz JA, Quevedo G, Massimi A, Hegde A, Wirchnianski AS, Bortz RH 3rd, Malonis RJ, Georgiev GI, Tong K, Herrera NG, Morano NC, Garforth SJ, Malaviya A, Khokhar A, Laudermilch E, Dieterle ME, Fels JM, Haslwanter D, Jangra RK, Barnhill J, Almo SC, Chandran K, Lai JR, Kelly L, Daily JP, Vergnolle O. Longitudinally monitored immune biomarkers predict the timing of COVID-19 outcomes. PLoS Comput Biol. 2022 Jan 18;18(1):e1009778. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009778. PMID: 35041647; PMCID: PMC8812869.

Ortigoza MB, Yoon H, Goldfeld KS, Troxel AB, Daily JP, Wu Y, Li Y, Wu D, Cobb GF, Baptiste G, O'Keeffe M, Corpuz MO, Ostrosky-Zeichner L, Amin A, Zacharioudakis IM, Jayaweera DT, Wu Y, Philley JV, Devine MS, Desruisseaux MS, Santin AD, Anjan S, Mathew R, Patel B, Nigo M, Upadhyay R, Kupferman T, Dentino AN, Nanchal R, Merlo CA, Hager DN, Chandran K, Lai JR, Rivera J, Bikash CR, Lasso G, Hilbert TP, Paroder M, Asencio AA, Liu M, Petkova E, Bragat A, Shaker R, McPherson DD, Sacco RL, Keller MJ, Grudzen CR, Hochman JS, Pirofski LA; CONTAIN COVID-19 Consortium for the CONTAIN COVID-19 Study Group, Parameswaran L, Corcoran AT, Rohatgi A, Wronska MW, Wu X, Srinivasan R, Deng FM, Filardo TD, Pendse J, Blaser SB, Whyte O, Gallagher JM, Thomas OE, Ramos D, Sturm-Reganato CL, Fong CC, Daus IM, Payoen AG, Chiofolo JT, Friedman MT, Wu DW, Jacobson JL, Schneider JG, Sarwar UN, Wang HE, Huebinger RM, Dronavalli G, Bai Y, Grimes CZ, Eldin KW, Umana VE, Martin JG, Heath TR, Bello FO, Ransford DL, Laurent-Rolle M, Shenoi SV, Akide-Ndunge OB, Thapa B, Peterson JL, Knauf K, Patel SU, Cheney LL, Tormey CA, Hendrickson JE. Efficacy and Safety of COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma in Hospitalized Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2022 Feb 1;182(2):115-126. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.6850. PMID: 34901997; PMCID: PMC8669605.

Ahmed A, Daily JP, Lescano AG, Golightly LM, Fasina A. Challenges and Strategies for Biomedical Researchers Returning to Low- and Middle-Income Countries after Training. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Mar;102(3):494-496. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0674. PMID: 31912776; PMCID: PMC7056415.