Victor Chaumeau

Victor leads the Entomology Laboratory at the SMRU. He is conducting operational research on the entomological aspects of malaria elimination in Kayin state, Myanmar. The aims of this work are

• document the bionomics of the local mosquito vectors,
• demonstrate the interruption of malaria transmission in the area targeted by the program 
• develop adequate vector-control interventions and strategies.

Future research axis will involve specific studies on the assessment of mosquito bed-nets efficacy, on the serological markers of exposure to mosquito bites and on insecticide resistances. Victor also leaded collaborative efforts to set-up a platform to study Plasmodium vivax hypnozoites in vitro. Major achievements of this platform include the production of high numbers of sporozoites using laboratory-adapted mosquito colonies artificially infected with clinical blood specimens from patients infected with P. vivax, the development of two different hepatocyte culture systems that support the development of P. vivax liver stages and the screening of dozens of thousands of compounds for their activity against dormant hypnozoites. In addition of the screening component, future studies will focus on the biology of the hypnozoite. The aims of this research are to identify new antimalarial drugs to be used for the radical cure of vivax malaria and to improve the understanding of the epidemiology of this neglected disease.