Surendra K. Prajapati, PhD
Vector-borne diseases have challenged human health for millennia, and malaria—caused by Plasmodium parasites—continues to be one of the most significant global threats. Our research explores three key aspects of malaria biology: drug resistance, parasite invasion, and sexual development, the stage essential for transmission.
We combine field-based expertise with advanced laboratory approaches, including CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, conditional gene expression systems, stem-cell culture, metabolomics, and transcriptome analysis. By integrating these tools, we work to unravel the host–parasite interactions that drive malaria transmission and disease progression.
Our goal is to define the molecular pathways that regulate parasite development, differentiation, and sequestration within the human body. Understanding these processes will help reveal new genes and mechanisms that can be targeted to block malaria transmission. In the long term, we aim to translate this knowledge into innovative strategies for malaria control and eventual elimination.
| Tierney AJ, Prajapati SK, Leonetti A, Fola AA, Kwapong SS, Baillargeon KR, Roberds A, Stewart VA, Amoah LE, Bailey JA, Williamson KC, Mace CR. Leukocyte Depletion in Dried Blood Spot Cards Enables Enrichment of Parasite DNA for Improved Sequencing. Anal Chem. 2025 May 13;97(18):9691-9700. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c06190. Epub 2025 May 2. PubMed PMID: 40315381. |
| Prajapati SK, Dong JX, Morahan BJ, Dotrang T, Barbeau MC, Williams AE, Hupalo D, Wilkerson MD, Dalgard CL, Kafsack BFC, Llinás M, Williamson KC. A single valine to leucine switch disrupts Plasmodium falciparum AP2-G DNA binding and reveals GDV1's role in ap2-g activation. bioRxiv. 2025 Apr 23;. doi: 10.1101/2025.04.22.648970. PubMed PMID: 40568120; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12190761. |
| Prajapati SK, Williamson KC. Genome-scale, functional screen of Plasmodium sexual replication. Trends Parasitol. 2025 Feb;41(2):80-82. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.12.014. Epub 2025 Jan 16. PubMed PMID: 39824704. |
| Calit J, Prajapati SK, Benavente ED, Araújo JE, Deng B, Miura K, Annunciato Y, Moura IMR, Usui M, Medeiros JF, Andrade CH, Silva-Mendonça S, Simeonov A, Eastman RT, Long CA, da Silva Araujo M, Williamson KC, Aguiar ACC, Bargieri DY. Pyrimidine Azepine Targets the Plasmodium bc (1) Complex and Displays Multistage Antimalarial Activity. JACS Au. 2024 Oct 28;4(10):3942-3952. doi: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00674. eCollection 2024 Oct 28. PubMed PMID: 39483245; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11522906. |
| Ferrer P, Berry AA, Bucsan AN, Prajapati SK, Krishnan K, Barbeau MC, Rickert DM, Guerrero SM, Usui M, Abebe Y, Patil A, Chakravarty S, Billingsley PF, Pa'ahana-Brown F, Strauss K, Shrestha B, Nomicos E, Deye GA, Sim BKL, Hoffman SL, Williamson KC, Lyke KE. Repeat controlled human Plasmodium falciparum infections delay bloodstream patency and reduce symptoms. Nat Commun. 2024 Jun 18;15(1):5194. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-49041-2. PubMed PMID: 38890271; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11189388. |
| De Meulenaere K, Prajapati SK, Villasis E, Cuypers B et al. Band 3-mediated Plasmodium vivax invasion is associated with transcriptional variation in PvTRAg genes. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022;12:1011692. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1011692. eCollection 2022. PubMed PMID: 36250048; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9563252. |
| Prajapati SK, Ayanful-Torgby R, Pava Z, Barbeau MC, Acquah FK, Cudjoe E, Kakaney C, Amponsah JA, Obboh E, Ahmed AE, Abuaku BK, McCarthy |
| Prajapati SK, Ayanful-Torgby R, Pava Z, Barbeau MC, Acquah FK, Cudjoe E, Kakaney C, Amponsah JA, Obboh E, Ahmed AE, Abuaku BK, McCarthy JS, Amoah LE, Williamson KC. The transcriptome of circulating sexually committed Plasmodium falciparum ring stage parasites forecasts malaria transmission potential. Nat Commun. 2020 Dec 2;11(1):6159. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-19988-z. PubMed PMID: 33268801; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7710746. |
| Prajapati SK, Borlon C, Rovira-Vallbona E, Gruszczyk J et al. Complement Receptor 1 availability on red blood cell surface modulates Plasmodium vivax invasion of human reticulocytes. Sci Rep. 2019 Jun 20;9(1):8943. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-45228-6. PubMed PMID: 31221984; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6586822. |
| Knuepfer E, Wright KE, Kumar Prajapati S, Rawlinson TA, Mohring F, Koch M, Lyth OR, Howell SA, Villasis E, Snijders AP, Moon RW, Draper SJ, Rosanas-Urgell A, Higgins MK, Baum J, Holder AA. Divergent roles for the RH5 complex components, CyRPA and RIPR in human-infective malaria parasites. PLoS Pathog. 2019 Jun;15(6):e1007809 |
| Usui M, Prajapati SK, Ayanful-Torgby R, Acquah FK, Cudjoe E, Kakaney C, Amponsah JA, Obboh EK, Reddy DK, Barbeau MC, Simons LM, Czesny B, Raiciulescu S, Olsen C, Abuaku BK, Amoah LE, Williamson KC. Plasmodium falciparum sexual differentiation in malaria patients is associated with host factors and GDV1-dependent genes. Nat Commun. 2019 May 13;10(1):2140. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-10172-6 |
Area of Research
Institution Affiliations
HJF Scientist-II in support of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University
and Research Assistant Professor