Melissa Conrad, PhD, MS
Assistant Professor
Medicine
School of Medicine

Using molecular and ex vivo approaches, we surveil for emerging or spreading drug resistance, evaluate novel markers of resistance and seek to better understand mechanisms of resistance. In addition, we perform membrane feeding assays in which mosquitoes are fed malaria-infected blood with the goal of better understanding the human infectious reservoir of malaria and which populations can be targeted to best reduce ongoing malaria transmission.

• Susceptibility of Anopheles gambiae to Natural Plasmodium falciparum Infection: A Comparison between the Well-Established Anopheles gambiae s.s Line and a Newly Established Ugandan Anopheles gambiae s.s. Line.
  The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 2023 Ayo D, Onyige I, Okoth J, Musasizi E, Oruni A, Ramjith J, Arinaitwe E, Rek JC, Drakeley C, Staedke SG, Donnelly MJ, Bousema T, Conrad M, Blanken SL
• Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention Drug Levels and Drug Resistance Markers in Children With or Without Malaria in Burkina Faso: A Case-Control Study.
  The Journal of infectious diseases 2023 Roh ME, Zongo I, Haro A, Huang L, Somé AF, Yerbanga RS, Conrad MD, Wallender E, Legac J, Aweeka F, Ouédraogo JB, Rosenthal PJ
• Evolution of Partial Resistance to Artemisinins in Malaria Parasites in Uganda.
  The New England journal of medicine 2023 Conrad MD, Asua V, Garg S, Giesbrecht D, Niaré K, Smith S, Namuganga JF, Katairo T, Legac J, Crudale RM, Tumwebaze PK, Nsobya SL, Cooper RA, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, Bailey JA, Rosenthal PJ
• Susceptibility of Ugandan Plasmodium falciparum Isolates to the Antimalarial Drug Pipeline.
  Microbiology spectrum 2023 Kreutzfeld O, Tumwebaze PK, Okitwi M, Orena S, Byaruhanga O, Katairo T, Conrad MD, Rasmussen SA, Legac J, Aydemir O, Giesbrecht D, Forte B, Campbell P, Smith A, Kano H, Nsobya SL, Blasco B, Duffey M, …
• Decreased susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to both dihydroartemisinin and lumefantrine in northern Uganda.
  Nature communications 2022 Tumwebaze PK, Conrad MD, Okitwi M, Orena S, Byaruhanga O, Katairo T, Legac J, Garg S, Giesbrecht D, Smith SR, Ceja FG, Nsobya SL, Bailey JA, Cooper RA, Rosenthal PJ
• East Africa International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research: Summary of Key Research Findings.
  The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 2022 Nankabirwa JI, Rek J, Arinaitwe E, Namuganga JF, Nsobya SL, Asua V, Mawejje HD, Epstein A, Greenhouse B, Rodriguez-Barraquer I, Briggs J, Krezanoski PJ, Rosenthal PJ, Conrad M, Smith D, Staedke SG, …
• Susceptibilities of Ugandan Plasmodium falciparum Isolates to Proteasome Inhibitors.
  Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 2022 Garg S, Kreutzfeld O, Chelebieva S, Tumwebaze PK, Byaruhanga O, Okitwi M, Orena S, Katairo T, Nsobya SL, Conrad MD, Aydemir O, Legac J, Gould AE, Bayles BR, Bailey JA, Duffey M, Lin G, Kirkman LA, …
• Asymptomatic School-Aged Children Are Important Drivers of Malaria Transmission in a High Endemicity Setting in Uganda.
  The Journal of infectious diseases 2022 Rek J, Blanken SL, Okoth J, Ayo D, Onyige I, Musasizi E, Ramjith J, Andolina C, Lanke K, Arinaitwe E, Olwoch P, Collins KA, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, Drakeley C, Staedke SG, Bousema T, Conrad MD
• Impact of Short-Term Storage on Ex Vivo Antimalarial Susceptibilities of Fresh Ugandan Plasmodium falciparum Isolates.
  Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 2022 Okitwi M, Orena S, Thomas K, Tumwebaze PK, Byaruhanga O, Nsobya SL, Conrad MD, Bayles BR, Rosenthal PJ, Cooper RA
• House design and risk of malaria, acute respiratory infection and gastrointestinal illness in Uganda: A cohort study.
  PLOS global public health 2022 Musiime AK, Krezanoski PJ, Smith DL, Kilama M, Conrad MD, Otto G, Kyagamba P, Asiimwe J, Rek J, Nankabirwa JI, Arinaitwe E, Akol AM, Kamya MR, Staedke SG, Drakeley C, Bousema T, Lindsay SW, Dorsey G, …
• Decreased Susceptibility to Dihydrofolate Reductase Inhibitors Associated With Genetic Polymorphisms in Ugandan Plasmodium falciparum Isolates.
  The Journal of infectious diseases 2022 Kreutzfeld O, Tumwebaze PK, Byaruhanga O, Katairo T, Okitwi M, Orena S, Rasmussen SA, Legac J, Conrad MD, Nsobya SL, Aydemir O, Bailey JA, Duffey M, Cooper RA, Rosenthal PJ
• Age-Related Changes in Malaria Clinical Phenotypes During Infancy Are Modified by Sickle Cell Trait.
  Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2021 Zehner N, Adrama H, Kakuru A, Andra T, Kajubi R, Conrad M, Nankya F, Clark TD, Kamya M, Rodriguez-Barraquer I, Dorsey G, Jagannathan P
• Associations between Varied Susceptibilities to PfATP4 Inhibitors and Genotypes in Ugandan Plasmodium falciparum Isolates.
  Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 2021 Kreutzfeld O, Rasmussen SA, Ramanathan AA, Tumwebaze PK, Byaruhanga O, Katairo T, Asua V, Okitwi M, Orena S, Legac J, Conrad MD, Nsobya SL, Aydemir O, Bailey J, Duffey M, Bayles BR, Vaidya AB, Cooper …
• Balanced impacts of fitness and drug pressure on the evolution of PfMDR1 polymorphisms in Plasmodium falciparum.
  Malaria journal 2021 Duvalsaint M, Conrad MD, Tukwasibwe S, Tumwebaze PK, Legac J, Cooper RA, Rosenthal PJ
• Drug susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum in eastern Uganda: a longitudinal phenotypic and genotypic study.
  The Lancet. Microbe 2021 Tumwebaze PK, Katairo T, Okitwi M, Byaruhanga O, Orena S, Asua V, Duvalsaint M, Legac J, Chelebieva S, Ceja FG, Rasmussen SA, Conrad MD, Nsobya SL, Aydemir O, Bailey JA, Bayles BR, Rosenthal PJ, …
• Sources of persistent malaria transmission in a setting with effective malaria control in eastern Uganda: a longitudinal, observational cohort study.
  The Lancet. Infectious diseases 2021 Andolina C, Rek JC, Briggs J, Okoth J, Musiime A, Ramjith J, Teyssier N, Conrad M, Nankabirwa JI, Lanke K, Rodriguez-Barraquer I, Meerstein-Kessel L, Arinaitwe E, Olwoch P, Rosenthal PJ, Kamya MR, …
• Changing Prevalence of Potential Mediators of Aminoquinoline, Antifolate, and Artemisinin Resistance Across Uganda.
  The Journal of infectious diseases 2021 Asua V, Conrad MD, Aydemir O, Duvalsaint M, Legac J, Duarte E, Tumwebaze P, Chin DM, Cooper RA, Yeka A, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, Nsobya SL, Bailey J, Rosenthal PJ
• Deletions of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes were uncommon in rapid diagnostic test-negative Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Uganda.
  Malaria journal 2021 Nsobya SL, Walakira A, Namirembe E, Kiggundu M, Nankabirwa JI, Ruhamyankaka E, Arinaitwe E, Conrad MD, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, Rosenthal PJ
• Associations between Malaria-Preventive Regimens and Plasmodium falciparum Drug Resistance-Mediating Polymorphisms in Ugandan Pregnant Women.
  Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 2020 Nayebare P, Asua V, Conrad MD, Kajubi R, Kakuru A, Nankabirwa JI, Muhanguzi D, Dorsey G, Kamya MR, Nsobya S, Rosenthal PJ
• Identification and characterization of immature Anopheles and culicines (Diptera: Culicidae) at three sites of varying malaria transmission intensities in Uganda.
  Malaria journal 2020 Musiime AK, Smith DL, Kilama M, Geoffrey O, Kyagamba P, Rek J, Conrad MD, Nankabirwa JI, Arinaitwe E, Akol AM, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, Staedke SG, Drakeley C, Lindsay SW
• The impact of antimalarial resistance on the genetic structure of Plasmodium falciparum in the DRC.
  Nature communications 2020 Verity R, Aydemir O, Brazeau NF, Watson OJ, Hathaway NJ, Mwandagalirwa MK, Marsh PW, Thwai K, Fulton T, Denton M, Morgan AP, Parr JB, Tumwebaze PK, Conrad M, Rosenthal PJ, Ishengoma DS, Ngondi J, …
• Impact of vector control interventions on malaria transmission intensity, outdoor vector biting rates and Anopheles mosquito species composition in Tororo, Uganda.
  Malaria journal 2019 Musiime AK, Smith DL, Kilama M, Rek J, Arinaitwe E, Nankabirwa JI, Kamya MR, Conrad MD, Dorsey G, Akol AM, Staedke SG, Lindsay SW, Egonyu JP
• The Diversity of the Plasmodium falciparum K13 Propeller Domain Did Not Increase after Implementation of Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapy in Uganda.
  Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 2019 Conrad MD, Nsobya SL, Rosenthal PJ
• Is that a real oocyst? Insectary establishment and identification of Plasmodium falciparum oocysts in midguts of Anopheles mosquitoes fed on infected human blood in Tororo, Uganda.
  Malaria journal 2019 Musiime AK, Okoth J, Conrad M, Ayo D, Onyige I, Rek J, Nankabirwa JI, Arinaitwe E, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, van Gemert GJ, Staedke SG, Drakeley C, Bousema T, Andolina C
• Antimalarial drug resistance in Africa: the calm before the storm?
  The Lancet. Infectious diseases 2019 Conrad MD, Rosenthal PJ
• Comparative Efficacy of Artemether-Lumefantrine and Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine for the Treatment of Uncomplicated Malaria in Ugandan Children.
  The Journal of infectious diseases 2019 Yeka A, Wallender E, Mulebeke R, Kibuuka A, Kigozi R, Bosco A, Kyambadde P, Opigo J, Kalyesubula S, Senzoga J, Vinden J, Conrad M, Rosenthal PJ
• Changing Molecular Markers of Antimalarial Drug Sensitivity across Uganda.
  Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 2019 Asua V, Vinden J, Conrad MD, Legac J, Kigozi SP, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, Nsobya SL, Rosenthal PJ
• Modeling Prevention of Malaria and Selection of Drug Resistance with Different Dosing Schedules of Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine Preventive Therapy during Pregnancy in Uganda.
  Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 2019 Wallender E, Zhang N, Conrad M, Kakuru A, Muhindo M, Tumwebaze P, Kajubi R, Mota D, Legac J, Jagannathan P, Havlir D, Kamya M, Dorsey G, Aweeka F, Rosenthal PJ, Savic RM
• Changing Antimalarial Drug Sensitivities in Uganda.
  Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 2017 Rasmussen SA, Ceja FG, Conrad MD, Tumwebaze PK, Byaruhanga O, Katairo T, Nsobya SL, Rosenthal PJ, Cooper RA
• Impact of Intermittent Preventive Treatment During Pregnancy on Plasmodium falciparum Drug Resistance-Mediating Polymorphisms in Uganda.
  The Journal of infectious diseases 2017 Conrad MD, Mota D, Foster M, Tukwasibwe S, Legac J, Tumwebaze P, Whalen M, Kakuru A, Nayebare P, Wallender E, Havlir DV, Jagannathan P, Huang L, Aweeka F, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, Rosenthal PJ
• Comparative Prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum Resistance-Associated Genetic Polymorphisms in Parasites Infecting Humans and Mosquitoes in Uganda.
  The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 2017 Conrad MD, Mota D, Musiime A, Kilama M, Rek J, Kamya M, Dorsey G, Rosenthal PJ
• Plasmodium Species Infecting Children Presenting with Malaria in Uganda.
  The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 2017 Asua V, Tukwasibwe S, Conrad M, Walakira A, Nankabirwa JI, Mugenyi L, Kamya MR, Nsobya SL, Rosenthal PJ
• Drug resistance mediating Plasmodium falciparum polymorphisms and clinical presentations of parasitaemic children in Uganda.
  Malaria journal 2017 Tukwasibwe S, Tumwebaze P, Conrad M, Arinaitwe E, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, Nsobya SL, Greenhouse B, Rosenthal PJ
• Changing Antimalarial Drug Resistance Patterns Identified by Surveillance at Three Sites in Uganda.
  The Journal of infectious diseases 2017 Tumwebaze P, Tukwasibwe S, Taylor A, Conrad M, Ruhamyankaka E, Asua V, Walakira A, Nankabirwa J, Yeka A, Staedke SG, Greenhouse B, Nsobya SL, Kamya MR, Dorsey G, Rosenthal PJ
• Artemether-Lumefantrine and Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine Exert Inverse Selective Pressure on Plasmodium Falciparum Drug Sensitivity-Associated Haplotypes in Uganda.
  Open forum infectious diseases 2016 Taylor AR, Flegg JA, Holmes CC, Guérin PJ, Sibley CH, Conrad MD, Dorsey G, Rosenthal PJ
• Intermittent Preventive Treatment with Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine in Ugandan Schoolchildren Selects for Plasmodium falciparum Transporter Polymorphisms That Modify Drug Sensitivity.
  Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 2016 Nankabirwa JI, Conrad MD, Legac J, Tukwasibwe S, Tumwebaze P, Wandera B, Brooker SJ, Staedke SG, Kamya MR, Nsobya SL, Dorsey G, Rosenthal PJ
• Artesunate/Amodiaquine Versus Artemether/Lumefantrine for the Treatment of Uncomplicated Malaria in Uganda: A Randomized Trial.
  The Journal of infectious diseases 2015 Yeka A, Kigozi R, Conrad MD, Lugemwa M, Okui P, Katureebe C, Belay K, Kapella BK, Chang MA, Kamya MR, Staedke SG, Dorsey G, Rosenthal PJ
• Lack of Artemisinin Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum in Uganda Based on Parasitological and Molecular Assays.
  Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 2015 Cooper RA, Conrad MD, Watson QD, Huezo SJ, Ninsiima H, Tumwebaze P, Nsobya SL, Rosenthal PJ
• Impact of antimalarial treatment and chemoprevention on the drug sensitivity of malaria parasites isolated from ugandan children.
  Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 2015 Tumwebaze P, Conrad MD, Walakira A, LeClair N, Byaruhanga O, Nakazibwe C, Kozak B, Bloome J, Okiring J, Kakuru A, Bigira V, Kapisi J, Legac J, Gut J, Cooper RA, Kamya MR, Havlir DV, Dorsey G, …
• Absence of putative artemisinin resistance mutations among Plasmodium falciparum in Sub-Saharan Africa: a molecular epidemiologic study.
  The Journal of infectious diseases 2014 Taylor SM, Parobek CM, DeConti DK, Kayentao K, Coulibaly SO, Greenwood BM, Tagbor H, Williams J, Bojang K, Njie F, Desai M, Kariuki S, Gutman J, Mathanga DP, Mårtensson A, Ngasala B, Conrad MD, …
• Polymorphisms in K13 and falcipain-2 associated with artemisinin resistance are not prevalent in Plasmodium falciparum isolated from Ugandan children.
  PloS one 2014 Conrad MD, Bigira V, Kapisi J, Muhindo M, Kamya MR, Havlir DV, Dorsey G, Rosenthal PJ
• Longitudinal outcomes in a cohort of Ugandan children randomized to artemether-lumefantrine versus dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine for the treatment of malaria.
  Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2014 Wanzira H, Kakuru A, Arinaitwe E, Bigira V, Muhindo MK, Conrad M, Rosenthal PJ, Kamya MR, Tappero JW, Dorsey G
• Temporal changes in prevalence of molecular markers mediating antimalarial drug resistance in a high malaria transmission setting in Uganda.
  The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 2014 Mbogo GW, Nankoberanyi S, Tukwasibwe S, Baliraine FN, Nsobya SL, Conrad MD, Arinaitwe E, Kamya M, Tappero J, Staedke SG, Dorsey G, Greenhouse B, Rosenthal PJ
• Validation of the ligase detection reaction fluorescent microsphere assay for the detection of Plasmodium falciparum resistance mediating polymorphisms in Uganda.
  Malaria journal 2014 Nankoberanyi S, Mbogo GW, LeClair NP, Conrad MD, Tumwebaze P, Tukwasibwe S, Kamya MR, Tappero J, Nsobya SL, Rosenthal PJ
• Comparative impacts over 5 years of artemisinin-based combination therapies on Plasmodium falciparum polymorphisms that modulate drug sensitivity in Ugandan children.
  The Journal of infectious diseases 2014 Conrad MD, LeClair N, Arinaitwe E, Wanzira H, Kakuru A, Bigira V, Muhindo M, Kamya MR, Tappero JW, Greenhouse B, Dorsey G, Rosenthal PJ
• Optimization of a ligase detection reaction-fluorescent microsphere assay for characterization of resistance-mediating polymorphisms in African samples of Plasmodium falciparum.
  Journal of clinical microbiology 2013 LeClair NP, Conrad MD, Baliraine FN, Nsanzabana C, Nsobya SL, Rosenthal PJ
• Genetic diversity of Trichomonas vaginalis reinfection in HIV-positive women.
  Sexually transmitted infections 2013 Conrad MD, Kissinger P, Schmidt N, Martin DH, Carlton JM
• Getting trichy: tools and approaches to interrogating Trichomonas vaginalis in a post-genome world.
  Trends in parasitology 2012 Conrad MD, Bradic M, Warring SD, Gorman AW, Carlton JM
• Association between Trichomonas vaginalis and vaginal bacterial community composition among reproductive-age women.
  Sexually transmitted diseases 2012 Brotman RM, Bradford LL, Conrad M, Gajer P, Ault K, Peralta L, Forney LJ, Carlton JM, Abdo Z, Ravel J
• Extensive genetic diversity, unique population structure and evidence of genetic exchange in the sexually transmitted parasite Trichomonas vaginalis.
  PLoS neglected tropical diseases 2012 Conrad MD, Gorman AW, Schillinger JA, Fiori PL, Arroyo R, Malla N, Dubey ML, Gonzalez J, Blank S, Secor WE, Carlton JM
• The evolution of infectious agents in relation to sex in animals and humans: brief discussions of some individual organisms.
  Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2011 Reed DL, Currier RW, Walton SF, Conrad M, Sullivan SA, Carlton JM, Read TD, Severini A, Tyler S, Eberle R, Johnson WE, Silvestri G, Clarke IN, Lagergård T, Lukehart SA, Unemo M, Shafer WM, Beasley RP,…
• P4-S3.07 Population genomics of Trichomonas vaginalis reveals a globally distributed two-phylotype population structure.
  Sexually Transmitted Infections 2011 M Conrad, A Gorman, J Schilinger, S Sullivan, J Upcroft, J Gonzalez, P L Fiori, R Arroyo, J Ravel, W E Secor, J Carlton
• P4-S3.09 The prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis virus (TVV) in globally distributed Trichomonas vaginalis isolates.
  Sexually Transmitted Infections 2011 L Lezeau, M Conrad, A Gorman, J Carlton
• Microsatellite polymorphism in the sexually transmitted human pathogen Trichomonas vaginalis indicates a genetically diverse parasite.
  Molecular and biochemical parasitology 2010 Conrad M, Zubacova Z, Dunn LA, Upcroft J, Sullivan SA, Tachezy J, Carlton JM