My research has focused on the parasite that causes human malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, and has primarily been aimed at a better understanding of the infection and the human immune response to it. Other major efforts have been to work on development of new and better drugs to treat the infection, primarily its severe forms in children, in an effort to bring about control of this disease.

malaria plasmodium falciparum tropical medicine pediatrics Zambia Africa

1999 – 2000 Fulbright Senior Scholar Award, Malaria Research in Zambia

1998 Distinguished Alumni Award, Messiah College, Grantham, PA

1997 Thomas V.N. Ballantine Award for “Outstanding Teacher of the Year”, Dept. of Pediatrics, Penn State School of Medicine, Hershey, PA

1982 Kamsler Award for “Outstanding Pediatric Resident”, Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital, Baltimore, MD

1975 Upjohn Achievement Award for “Intern of the Year”, Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton, OH

Mharakurwa S, Simoloka C, Thuma PE, Shiff CJ, Sullivan DJ. PCR detection of Plasmodium falciparum in human urine and saliva samples. Malar J. 8;5:103. 2006

Mulenga M, Malunga F, Bennett S, Thuma PE, Shulman C, Fielding K, Alloueche A, Greenwood BM. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of atovaquone-proguanil vs. sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine in the treatment of malarial anaemia in Zambian children. Trop Med Int Health. 11:1643-52. 2006

Mulenga M, Malunga P, Bennett S, Thuma P, Shulman C, Fielding K, Greenwood B. Folic acid treatment of Zambian children with moderate to severe malaria anemia. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 74(6):986-90. 2006

McDevitt MA, Xie J, Shanmugasundaram G, Griffith J, Liu A, McDonald C, Thuma P, Gordeuk VR, Metz CN, Mitchell R, Keefer J, David J, Leng L, Bucala R. A critical role for the host mediator macrophage migration inhibitory factor in the pathogenesis of malarial anemia. J Exp Med. 203(5):1185-96. 2006

Nyunt M, Pisciotta J, Feldman AB, Thuma P, Scholl PF, Demirev PA, Lin JS, Shi L, Kumar N, Sullivan DJ Jr. Detection of Plasmodium falciparum in pregnancy by laser desorption mass spectrometry. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 73(3):485-490. 2005

Zhong XB, Leng L, Beitin A, Chen R, McDonald C, Hsiao B, Jenison RD, Kang I, Park SH, Lee A, Gregersen P, Thuma P, Bray-Ward P, Ward DC, Bucala R. Simultaneous detection of microsatellite repeats and SNPs in the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) gene by thin-film biosensor chips and application to rural field studies. Nucleic Acids Res. 2:33(13):e121. 2005

Mulenga M, Malunga P, Bennett S, Thuma PE, Shulman C, Fielding K, Greenwood BM. Factors associated with severe anaemia in Zambian children admitted with Plasmodium falciparum malarial anaemia. Ann Trop Paediatr. 25(2):87-90. 2005.

Havlik I, Looareesuwan S, Vannaphan S, Wilairatana P, Krudsood S, Thuma PE, Kozbor D, Watanabe N,Kaneko Y.. Curdlan sulphate in human severe/cerebral Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 99(5):333-40, 2005