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Developing next-generation mRNA vaccines for malaria

Vaccination is a highly effective strategy to protect populations against infectious diseases. Highly protective and long-lasting vaccines are needed to reduce the global burden of malaria and enable elimination.

Vaccines work by training the immune system to detect and eliminate infectious agents and prevent illness and severe disease. To achieve potent and long-lasting immunity against malaria requires vaccines that generate the right types of immune responses. mRNA vaccine technology is a new technology that has the potential to accelerate the development of next-generation malaria vaccines. 

Develop effective malaria vaccines that induce long-lasting protection using mRNA technology.

2022–2030

Professor James Beeson and his team are leading next-generation vaccine development for malaria by designing and engineering mRNA vaccines to contain specific proteins of malaria to generate antibodies that can provide highly protective immunity against malaria. The project aims to develop vaccines for Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, which are the two major causes of malaria. Additionally, the is identifying approaches that can generate a long-lasting protective immune response against malaria.

An effective vaccine will alleviate the disease burden in communities globally, especially in low-middle-income settings where the malaria is the highest and where access to resources and health care can be severely constrained.

Professor James Beeson

Contact Professor James Beeson for more information about this project. 

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Learn about the Burnet Vaccine Initiative

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Funding
Partners

  • mRNA Victoria (Victorian Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry, and Regions)

Partners +
Collaborators

  • Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (led by Prof Colin Pouton)

Project
Team

Meet the project team. Together, we are translating research into better health, for all.

Professor James Beeson

DEPUTY DIRECTOR, RESEARCH STRATEGY; HEAD, MALARIA IMMUNITY AND VACCINES GROUP; ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, MONASH UNIVERSITY

James is a medical researcher and Public Health Physician (registered in Australia). He completed hi...

Associate Professor Michelle Boyle

HEAD, CELLULAR RESPONSES TO DISEASE AND VACCINATION GROUP; SNOW MEDICAL FELLOW

Michelle completed her PhD in at the University of Melbourne in 2012, and received the Victorian Pre...

Doctor Jo-Anne Chan

SENIOR POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH SCIENTIST

After completing her Bachelor of Biomedical Science degree in 2007, Jo-Anne went on...

Professor Heidi Drummer

SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR FOR RESEARCH TRANSLATION; SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR, BURNET DIAGNOSTICS INITIATIVE; PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, BURNET VACCINE INITIATIVE; CO-HEAD, VIRAL ENTRY AND VACCINES GROUP

Professor Heidi Drummer is Scientific Director for Research Translation and co-Head of the Viral Ent...

Timothy Ho

PHD STUDENT

Tim is a PhD student at the Burnet Institute and Monash University. His supervisors are Professor Ja...

Alessia Hysa

PHD STUDENT

Alessia is a PhD student at the Burnet Institute and the University of Melbourne working with the Be...

Doctor Liriye Kurtovic

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH OFFICER

Dr Liriye Kurtovic works at Burnet as a Postdoctoral Research Officer.

Doctor Herbert Opi

SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW

Following completion of his Bachelor of Science degree and a short stint as a research...

Kaitlin Pekin

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Research Assistant

Doctor Andy Poumbourios

CO-HEAD, VIRAL ENTRY AND VACCINES GROUP

Dr. Andy Poumbourios is co-Head of the Viral Entry and Vaccines research group...

Doctor Adam Thomas

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH OFFICER - MALARIA VACCINES

After completing his Bachelor of Science majoring in microbiology and molecular biology...

Doctor Lee Yeoh

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW