Prof Ivo Mueller, Division Head | WEHI Researcher Profile

About

We aim to study malaria host-parasite interactions with a particular focus on gaining a better understanding of:
* Differential patterns of natural acquisition of immune responses and their association with parasite exposure and protection from infection.
* Parasite dynamics within the human host and the genetic diversity and evolutionary history of parasites.
* Transmission epidemiology and biology of Plasmodium gametocytes and sporozoites.
* Host immune responses to Plasmodium infection and how they relate to exposure history and protection against clinical disease
* The role of hypnozoite in the increase resilience of P. vivax to control and elimination.
* Host genetic adaptation to malaria.

These questions are being addressed with a range of population-based studies in malaria-affected regions of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Thailand, Cambodia and Brazil that combine well-designed epidemiological and clinical studies with in-depth molecular, immunological and systems biology studies of host-parasite interactions.

More recently we have extended into studying COVID-19 infection. Leveraging our experience from malaria serology, we have developed novel approached to COVID-19 sero-surveillance and are studying the acquisition and maintenance of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infections.

In parallel, we are supporting health authorities in the Pacific with planning for and managing the COVID-19 pandemic by modelling different SARS-CoV-2 transmission scenarios and development of analytical tools to monitor the local progression of the pandemic.

Education

Grants and funding

Publications

Selected publications from Prof Ivo Mueller

Ciavarella C, Drakeley C, Price RN, Mueller I, White M. Quantifying Plasmodium vivax radical cure efficacy: a modelling study integrating clinical trial data and transmission dynamics. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2025;:10.1016/s1473-3099(24)00689-3

Tréhard H, Musset L, Lazrek Y, White M, Pelleau S, Mueller I, Djossou F, Sanna A, Landier J, Gaudart J, Mosnier E. Which diagnostic test to use for Testing and Treatment strategies in Plasmodium vivax low-transmission settings: a secondary analysis of a longitudinal interventional study. The Lancet Regional Health – Americas. 2024;38:10.1016/j.lana.2024.100883

Hu S, Wang F, Huang Q, Chen Y, Lyu D, Zhou N, Wang M, Zhang M, Xu C, Mueller I, Yao G, Liu X, Zhang Q, Hong W. Eveningness is associated with more severe depressive symptoms independently of sleep quality and fatigue level only in first-episode but not recurrent depression in major depressive disorder. Chronobiology International. 2024;41(7):10.1080/07420528.2024.2378958

Kosasih A, Utami RAS, Noviyanti R, Elyazar IRF, Lestari KD, Raimanus VS, Longley RJ, Baird JK, Robinson LJ, Sutanto I, Mueller I. Agreement between serological data on schoolchildren and the number of malaria cases in the remaining high-burden villages of Indonesia. Frontiers in Malaria. 2024;2:10.3389/fmala.2024.1362585

Tréhard H, Musset L, Lazrek Y, White M, Pelleau S, Mueller I, Djossou F, Sanna A, Gaudart J, Mosnier E. Stratégies de dépistage et de traitement dans les contextes de faible transmission du Plasmodium vivax : retours du terrain pour éclairer les futurs choix de l’outil de dépistage.Médecine et Maladies Infectieuses Formation. 2024;3(2):10.1016/j.mmifmc.2024.04.336

Mitchell RA, Ubillos I, Requena P, Campo JJ, Ome-Kaius M, Hanieh S, Umbers A, Samol P, Barrios D, Jiménez A, Bardají A, Mueller I, Menéndez C, Rogerson S, Dobaño C, Moncunill G. Chronic malaria exposure is associated with inhibitory markers on T cells that correlate with atypical memory and marginal zone-like B cells. Clinical & Experimental Immunology. 2024;216(2):10.1093/cei/uxae015

Le TP, Abell I, Conway E, Campbell PT, Hogan AB, Lydeamore MJ, McVernon J, Mueller I, Walker CR, Baker CM. Modelling the impact of hybrid immunity on future COVID-19 epidemic waves. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2024;24(1):10.1186/s12879-024-09282-4

Pepey A, Souris M, Kim S, Obadia T, Chy S, Ea M, Ouk S, Remoue F, Sovannaroth S, Mueller I, Witkowski B, Vantaux A. Comparing malaria risk exposure in rural Cambodia population using GPS tracking and questionnaires. Malaria Journal. 2024;23(1):10.1186/s12936-024-04890-6

Anwar N, Smith L, Devine A, Mehra S, Walker CR, Ivory E, Conway E, Mueller I, McCaw JM, Flegg JA, Hickson RI. Mathematical models of Plasmodium vivax transmission: A scoping review. PLOS Computational Biology. 2024;20(3):10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011931

Grimée M, Tacoli C, Sandfort M, Obadia T, Taylor AR, Vantaux A, Robinson LJ, Lek D, Longley RJ, Mueller I, Popovici J, White MT, Witkowski B. Using serological diagnostics to characterize remaining high-incidence pockets of malaria in forest-fringe Cambodia. Malaria Journal. 2024;23(1):10.1186/s12936-024-04859-5