New WWARN themes launch
26 Mar 2025
IDDO’s malaria data hub, the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network, has launched five themes that form a focus for its expanding research on monitoring resistance and maximising the efficacy of current and new antimalarial drugs.
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Photo Dominic Chavez, World Bank
Each theme is led by two co-lead researchers, with representations from researchers from malaria endemic countries.
The five new themes are:
- Antimalarial resistance: led by Professor Karen Barnes, with Dr Mehul Dhorda as co-lead
- Vivax malaria: led by Associate Professor Rob Commons, with Dr Najia Karim Ghanchi as co-lead
- Severe malaria: led by Dr Elizabeth George, with Professor Daniel Ansong as co-lead
- Malaria chemoprevention: led by Dr Paul Sondo with Dr James Watson as co-lead
- Malaria in pregnancy: led by Dr Stephanie Dellicour, with Dr Abel Kakuru as co-lead.
These themes are supported by three cross-cutting themes that build further on WWARN’s existing expertise. The cross-cutting themes are:
- Pharmacometrics: led by Professor Joel Tarning
- Statistics and modelling: led by Professor Julie Simpson
- Geospatial modelling: led by Professor Jennifer Flegg
“This new focus builds on WWARN’s history of bringing together experts from many disciplines, and fostering research capacity across the globe,” said IDDO Director, Professor Phillipe Guerin.
Each of the themes works to generate new tools and the best evidence (including large-scale individual patient data meta-analyses) to inform the malaria research community, as well as co-developing key research questions with significant stakeholders.
The leadership and the strategic direction of WWARN will continue to be overseen by WWARN Scientific Advisory Committee. The IDDO Board, its independent Data Access Committee, and the IDDO Secretariat continue to be responsible for the overall functioning and governance activities related to hosting the WWARN research platform.
Find out more about WWARN’s themes