Julie M Moore,

Dr. Moore’s research interests center on understanding the immunopathogenesis of malaria and advancing knowledge of placental biology through study of malaria in pregnancy. The laboratory uses a combination of field-based studies (in Kenya), mouse models and in vitro models of villous placenta-malaria parasite interactions to elucidate the complex interactions between the parasite, the placenta and maternal physiology that result in compromised pregnancy. Of particular interest is the intersection between malaria-driven inflammation, coagulation and oxidative stress in the placenta, and how these contribute to cell death and dysfunctional placenta. Similar mechanistic studies are also being conducted in models of cerebral malaria. The lab is also exploring, through collaborative studies with Drs. Connie Mulligan and Chris Dutton at UF, how maternal factors such as pre-natal stress impact the development of the infant gut microbiome and how such impacts further determine infant susceptibility to malaria in the first year of life. The latter studies compliment work in mouse models that shows modulation of the gut microbiome determines both the course of malaria infection and fetal outcomes. The goals of these projects are to advance understanding of the fundamental biology of the host-parasite interaction in malaria and identify novel host-directed therapeutic options for mitigating the effects of malaria infection during pregnancy and other forms of severe malaria.

0000-0002-5031-3270