Rhea’s research aims to address a major global health challenge – persistence of malaria in countries very close to elimination. In the Asia-Pacific region, malaria can result in hidden parasite’s in a person’s liver that lie dormant and then cause relapse months after the initial infection. Current tools for detecting and managing relapse risk are inadequate, creating a real challenge for elimination.
Rhea’s research approach is to study immune responses in people with various infectious diseases such as malaria, and relies on strong equitable partnerships with scientists in endemic countries. Her research has included developing and applying serological markers to identify individuals recently exposed to malaria and at risk of relapse. This approach has the potential to transform surveillance, improve targeting of treatments, and ultimately accelerate malaria elimination efforts.