Daniel Neafsey's laboratory studies the evolutionary genomics of malaria parasites and mosquito vectors. Prior to becoming a faculty member at Harvard, he led a research group at the Broad Institute, where he retains a role as Associate Director of the Broad Institute's Genomic Center for Infectious Disease. He is excited by the potential for new technology and data to turn the tide against diseases like malaria.
Neafsey's current projects involve the application of comparative genomic and population genetic analyses to Plasmodium malaria parasites and Anopheles mosquitoes to study population structure, natural selection, and genomic factors underlying parasite and vector phenotypes that impact public health. Neafsey's interests also include the use of pathogen polymorphism data to inform vaccine design and understand vaccine efficacy, analysis of drug resistance mechanisms and evolution, the use of clinical genotyping data to interpret disease transmission dynamics, and the development of new genomic protocols and informatics tools to address key questions in infectious disease and global health.
BA, 6/1998, Biology
Loyola University Chicago
Ph.D., 6/2004, Biology
Harvard University
Vanhove M, Schwabl P, Clementson C, Early AM, Laws M, Anthony F, Florimond C, Mathieu L, James K, Knox C, Singh N, Buckee CO, Musset L, Cox H, Niles-Robin R, Neafsey DE.
PLoS Pathog. 2024 Jun. 20(6):e1012013. PMID: 38870266
Daron J, Bouafou L, Tennessen JA, Rahola N, Makanga B, Akone-Ella O, Ngangue MF, Longo Pendy NM, Paupy C, Neafsey DE, Fontaine MC, Ayala D.
bioRxiv. 2024 May 21. PMID: 38798379
Juraska M, Early AM, Li L, Schaffner SF, Lievens M, Khorgade A, Simpkins B, Hejazi NS, Benkeser D, Wang Q, Mercer LD, Adjei S, Agbenyega T, Anderson S, Ansong D, Bii DK, Buabeng PBY, English S, Fitzgerald N, Grimsby J, Kariuki SK, Otieno K, Roman F, Samuels AM, Westercamp N, Ockenhouse CF, Ofori-Anyinam O, Lee CK, MacInnis BL, Wirth DF, Gilbert PB, Neafsey DE.
Lancet Infect Dis. 2024 May 06. PMID: 38723650
Peterson ME, Telscher S, Idris AH, Adams WC, McDermott AB, Narpala S, Lin BC, Serebryannyy L, Hickman SP, McDougal AJ, Vazquez S, Reiber M, Stein JA, Gall JG, Carlton K, Schwabl P, Traore S, Keita M, Zéguimé A, Ouattara A, Doucoure M, Dolo A, Murphy SC, Neafsey DE, Portugal S, Kayentao K, Ongoiba A, Djimdé A, Traore B, Seder RA, Crompton PD, Preston AC, Healy SA, Hu Z, Skinner J, Doumbo S, Wang J, Cisse H, Doumtabe D, Traore A, Traore H, Djiguiba A, Li S.
N Engl J Med. 2024 May 02. 390(17):1549-1559. PMID: 38669354
Habtewold T, Wagah M, Tambwe MM, Moore S, Windbichler N, Christophides G, Johnson H, Heaton H, Collins J, Krasheninnikova K, Pelan SE, Pointon DB, Sims Y, Torrance JW, Tracey A, Uliano Da Silva M, Wood JM, von Wyschetzki K, McCarthy SA, Neafsey DE, Makunin A, Lawniczak MKN, Lawniczak M.
Wellcome Open Res. 2023. 8:74. PMID: 37424773
Vanhove M, Schwabl P, Clementson C, Early AM, Laws M, Anthony F, Florimond C, Mathieu L, James K, Knox C, Singh N, Buckee CO, Musset L, Cox H, Niles-Robin R, Neafsey DE.
bioRxiv. 2024 Feb 01. PMID: 38352461
Mouillaud T, Berger A, Buysse M, Rahola N, Daron J, Agbor JP, Sango SN, Neafsey DE, Duron O, Ayala D.
Evol Appl. 2023 Dec. 16(12):1999-2006. PMID: 38143905
Juraska M, Early AM, Li L, Schaffner SF, Lievens M, Khorgade A, Simpkins B, Hejazi NS, Benkeser DA, Wang Q, Mercer LD, Adjei S, Agbenyega T, Anderson S, Ansong D, Bii DK, Buabeng PBY, English S, Fitzgerald N, Grimsby J, Kariuki SK, Otieno K, Roman F, Samuels AM, Westercamp N, Ockenhouse CF, Ofori-Anyinam O, Lee CK, MacInnis BL, Wirth DF, Gilbert PB, Neafsey DE.
medRxiv. 2023 Nov 23. PMID: 38045387
Nsango SN, Agbor JP, Ayala D, Johnson HF, Heaton H, Wagah MG, Collins JC, Krasheninnikova K, Pelan SE, Pointon DB, Sims Y, Torrance JW, Tracey A, Uliano Da Silva M, Wood JMD, von Wyschetzki K, McCarthy SA, Neafsey DE, Makunin A, Lawniczak M.
Wellcome Open Res. 2023. 8:507. PMID: 38046191
Florimond C, de Laval F, Early AM, Sauthier S, Lazrek Y, Pelleau S, Monteiro WM, Agranier M, Taudon N, Morin F, Magris M, Lacerda MVG, Viana GMR, Herrera S, Adhin MR, Ferreira MU, Woodrow CJ, Awab GR, Cox H, Ade MP, Mosnier E, Djossou F, Neafsey DE, Ringwald P, Musset L.
Lancet Infect Dis. 2024 Feb. 24(2):161-171. PMID: 37858325
A Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health project to conduct genetic surveillance of malaria parasites in China is one of seven projects to receive grants this year from the Harvard Global Institute (HGI). Led by Dyann Wirth,…
October 25, 2017 – Throughout the twentieth century, researchers hoped to discover a “magic bullet” to cure malaria. But today experts realize that efforts to curb or eradicate the mosquito-borne disease must be multifaceted, from research to policy…
