Genomics and global health

Genomics is the study of the complete DNA sequence, for example of a particular parasite, allowing us to analyse its evolution and the impact of human interventions. Alongside clinical date, we use genomics to identify mutations that are markers for drug resistance. Mapping out drug resistance then helps inform elimination programmes.

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Every year, hundreds of thousands of children die of malaria before their first day at school. For decades, scientists and public health authorities have attempted to eliminate this burden on the developing world, only to have their hopes dashed by the astonishing adaptability of Plasmodium parasites, which seem capable of becoming tolerant to most drugs we deploy. Today, genomic technologies provide a powerful weapon against these parasites. From DNA sequences extracted from infected patients, we are able to determine the parasites’ characteristics, and study how genetic variants spread and evolve. We now have tens of thousands genomic sequences, collected all over the world, against which to compare new clinical strains, and observe in near-real time how parasite populations change as a result of human intervention and environmental change, to inform and guide public health strategies.

Olivo Miotto focuses on translating the massive quantities of data produced by sequencing thousands of genomes into meaningful knowledge about the epidemiology of Plasmodium falciparum. Based in Bangkok, Olivo leads the GenRe-Mekong genomic surveillance project, working in collaboration with national malaria control programmes (NMCPs) in countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion. The project collects field samples from all endemic regions in those countries, performs broad genotyping, and maps important drug resistance markers across the region. It also maps the spread of drug-resistant strains within countries and across borders, investigating the nature of outbreaks and the origins of circulating lineages. Olivo’s group aggregates genotype data from participating countries, and develop tools that translate these data into visualizations that can be acted upon by public health officers.

Olivo also works on discovering genetic markers and complex genetic backgrounds that underpin parasite phenotypes, such as drug resistance, or parasite-host interactions. He collaborates with research groups in five continents, and particularly with partners in the MalariaGEN Network, to perform regional and global analyses of parasite populations. Olivo is particularly interested in developing methods that can identify inherited variants patterns, which can lead to a deep understanding of parasite evolution and biology. He has studied physics and was a software engineer for years, in the commercial and academic worlds. At various times, he worked on Web applications, graphical user interfaces, speech synthesis and database systems, before realizing that the study of evolution was what truly fascinated him. He never looked back.