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Scholarship winner to research malaria
Painful memories of a quinine injection to treat malaria have spurred James Cook University student Edgar Pollard to undertake a Doctor of Philosophy researching the vector-borne disease.
Painful memories of a quinine injection to treat malaria have spurred James Cook University student Edgar Pollard to undertake a Doctor of Philosophy researching the vector-borne disease.
Mr Pollard,
from the Solomon Islands, is the first recipient of a PhD scholarship
funded through a partnership between the Australian Institute of
Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM) and Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM)
for an international student from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands,
Vanuatu or Timor Leste.
“Living in the Solomon Islands I had
malaria a few times with the worst case in in 2005 when I was
hospitalised for a week,” Mr Pollard said.
“I don’t remember too much as I was delirious, but the quinine shots in my backside were painful for about a month afterwards.
“In the Solomons everyone has had malaria at least once, including my mother who had it just a couple of weeks ago.
“I
think it is realistic that we will one day eliminate malaria and I
would like to be part of that work so my child and others will not have
to deal with it.”
Mr Pollard, who has a Master of
Environmental Science from the University of the South Pacific, will be
supervised by Professor Tom Burkot, the Director of VectorBorne Disease
Network (VecNet) and a researcher at the Cairns campus of JCU.
Professor
Burkot said Mr Pollard’s research would involve extensive fieldwork in
the Solomon Islands where the disease is endemic.
“Mosquito
numbers are low at the moment in the Solomon Islands with the El Nino
weather pattern, but will build up as the rains return,” Professor
Burkot said.
“This will enable Edgar's research to take into
account climatic conditions and examine why there are malaria hot spots
in certain villages and parts of the islands.”
Mr Pollard said
he would investigate mosquito behaviour to understand mosquito
movements around villages to look at ways the malaria vector could be
controlled outside of the home.
RAM immediate past National
Chair Phil Dempster said the scholarship was designed to encourage
students from Australia’s nearest neighbours to undertake research on
vector-borne diseases.
Professor Tom Burkot can be contacted on (07) 4232 1867 or [email protected]