NGS IEG February 19th - Mapping and visualizing malaria drug resistance mutations
NGS IEG February 19th - Mapping and visualizing malaria drug resistance mutations
Greetings!
We’ve all had them over the holidays, I’m sure, but we are going to ring in the new year 🎊 with a talk about bugs 🦠!
Title: Mapping and visualizing malaria drug resistance mutations
Abstract: The malaria parasite kills or sickens a large number of people in sub-saharan Africa and across much of the globe every year. Over the decades, we've tried a range of different drugs, and malaria has evolved resistance mechanisms to most of them. There are even mutations that delete the genes used to diagnose malaria. The groups I've been working with need tools to detect which types of drug resistance mutations are present in which regions. In this talk, I'll discuss some of the challenges associated with detecting malaria mutations, and some of the software that I've helped develop to overcome these challenges and map which geographical regions show resistance to which antimalarial drugs.
Presenter’s bio: Alfred Simkin, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Brown University. His research focuses on developing computational algorithms and analytical workflows to model host–pathogen genomic interactions. He earned his PhD in molecular evolution of non-coding RNAs at UMass Medical School, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University, where he developed simulation frameworks to study the evolution of microRNA binding sites. Prior to joining Brown, he served as a tenure-track teaching professor at Elon University and spent a brief period as a staff scientist at IDEXX. He is based in Raleigh, NC, and collaborates closely with members of the IDEEL consortium at UNC Chapel Hill.
Date:
February 19th, 2026
Schedule:
Lunch/social - 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM
Presentation - 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
Social hour - 1:30 PM to 2:00 PM
Format: Meeting will be held both virtually and in-person. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.
Add to calendar:
Event Address:
North Carolina Biotechnology Center
15 T.W. Alexander Drive
Research Triangle Park,
NC 27709
Zoom link: https://ncbiotech.zoom.us/j/86440658342?pwd=MU9IckpYQUhHTnV6NE1UcXUvYnNXUT09
Meeting ID: 864 4065 8342
Passcode: 583621
Other NGS IEG info/links:
The NextGen Sequencing Intellectual Exchange Group (NGS IEG) provides a forum to share methods and technologies driving biotechnology research in North Carolina from both academic and private research groups. NGS IEG provides an excellent networking opportunity for biotech leaders, academics, and students interested in networking with local RTP biotech. We gather industry leaders from the RTP area to share, discuss and review their new technologies, research, and big-data platforms in a casual environment with lunch provided. Related NGS IEG links below: