Sarah K. Volkman

Biography

Sarah Volkman has over twenty years of experience in malaria biology and is a world expert on malaria with a focus on applying genetic metrics of malaria to understand transmission dynamics and mechanisms of drug resistance. Her primary research interest centers on understanding genetic variation in Plasmodium falciparum, a causative agent of human malaria infection. She is particularly interested in using population genetic strategies to develop strategies to apply genetic metrics to understand transmission dynamics and to identify genetic loci that contribute to drug resistance in this organism. She is currently working toward development of models that leverage genetic and other data to estimate transmission levels and sources of infection for P. falciparum to guide optimal intervention use toward malaria control and elimination. She is also working on leveraging genetic information from natural isolates and connecting genotypes with phenotypes to associate genetic polymorphisms with biologically and clinically relevant phenotypes.

Sarah received her B.S. from the University of California, San Diego (cum laude) in 1986 and her Sc.D. from the Division of Biological Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 1995. She conducted postdoctoral studies with Professor Dyann Wirth at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and was appointed principal research scientist in 2001. Sarah Volkman is a molecular biologist and principal research scientist in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a member of the Broad Institute. She is also a Professor of Nursing at the School of Nursing at Simmons University.

Education and Training

• ScD, Malaria
  Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Publications

• Two decades of molecular surveillance in Senegal reveal rapid changes in known drug resistance mutations over time.

  Ndiaye YD, Wong W, Thwing J, Schaffner SF, Brenneman KV, Tine A, Diallo MA, Deme AB, Sy M, Bei AK, Thiaw AB, Daniels R, Ndiaye T, Gaye A, Ndiaye IM, Toure M, Gadiaga N, Sene A, Sow D, Garba MN, Yade MS, Dieye B, Diongue K, Zoumarou D, Ndiaye A, Gomis JF, Fall FB, Ndiop M, Diallo I, Sene D, Macinnis B, Seck MC, Ndiaye M, Ngom B, Diedhiou Y, Mbaye AM, Ndiaye L, Sy N, Badiane AS, Hartl DL, Wirth DF, Volkman SK, Ndiaye D. Malar J 2024 Jul 09

  PMID: 38982475

• Evaluating the performance of Plasmodium falciparum genetic metrics for inferring National Malaria Control Programme reported incidence in Senegal.

  Wong W, Schaffner SF, Thwing J, Seck MC, Gomis J, Diedhiou Y, Sy N, Ndiop M, Ba F, Diallo I, Sene D, Diallo MA, Ndiaye YD, Sy M, Sene A, Sow D, Dieye B, Tine A, Ribado J, Suresh J, Lee A, Battle KE, Proctor JL, Bever CA, MacInnis B, Ndiaye D, Hartl DL, Wirth DF, Volkman SK. Malar J 2024 Mar 05

  PMID: 38443939

• Malaria surveillance reveals parasite relatedness, signatures of selection, and correlates of transmission across Senegal.

  Schaffner SF, Badiane A, Khorgade A, Ndiop M, Gomis J, Wong W, Ndiaye YD, Diedhiou Y, Thwing J, Seck MC, Early A, Sy M, Deme A, Diallo MA, Sy N, Sene A, Ndiaye T, Sow D, Dieye B, Ndiaye IM, Gaye A, Ndiaye A, Battle KE, Proctor JL, Bever C, Fall FB, Diallo I, Gaye S, Sene D, Hartl DL, Wirth DF, MacInnis B, Ndiaye D, Volkman SK. Nat Commun 2023 11 10

  PMID: 37949851

• Genetic surveillance for monitoring the impact of drug use on Plasmodium falciparum populations.

  Ndiaye YD, Hartl DL, McGregor D, Badiane A, Fall FB, Daniels RF, Wirth DF, Ndiaye D, Volkman SK. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2021 12

  PMID: 34333350

• Genetic analysis reveals unique characteristics of Plasmodium falciparum parasite populations in Haiti.

  Daniels RF, Chenet S, Rogier E, Lucchi N, Herman C, Pierre B, Lemoine JF, Boncy J, Wirth DF, Chang MA, Udhayakumar V, Volkman SK. Malar J 2020 Oct 23

  PMID: 33097045