The current gold standard malaria treatments are artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs), but unfortunately, artemisinins are threatened by growing resistance. Imran employs cutting-edge cell and molecular biology techniques to understand the underlying mechanisms of Pfcoronin– and Pfkelch13-mediated artemisinin resistance. In collaboration with several other lab members and partners, Imran is also involved in assessing the potential impacts of specific Pfkelch13 and Pfcoronin polymorphisms in malaria parasites from Senegal, where ACTs are commonly used. These studies may inform decision making and/or provide early warnings of emerging resistance.
