DrDina Vlachou

I am a molecular biologist with specialized expertise in disease vector and parasite genetics, bolstered by a robust background in functional genomics. Prior to my tenure at Imperial, I undertook postdoctoral training in the field of vector and parasite research at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (IMBB-FORTH) in Crete, Greece, and Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) in Leiden, The Netherlands. I then joined the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, as a Marie Curie Independent Career Development Fellow.

My research centers on unraveling the complexities of malaria transmission biology. Malaria, caused by the Plasmodium protozoan parasite, is transmitted from human to human via Anopheles mosquitoes. Within the mosquito vector, malaria parasites face major challenges, particularly as they traverse the mosquito midgut facing robust mosquito immune responses. Our investigations have revealed intricate host-parasite interactions and identified key roles of specific parasite proteins in conferring resistance against these immune responses.

Research Focus: 

 1. Mechanisms of malaria parasite sexual and sporogonic development. Unraveling the intricate mechanisms that underpin parasite development within the mosquito and functionally characterizing the key regulators of these developmental processes.

2. Plasmodium immune evasion mechanisms of the mosquito complement: Molecular interplay between the malaria parasite and mosquito host.

We investigate the reciprocal interactions between Plasmodium and its mosquito host, focusing on parasite molecules that mediate immune evasion and mosquito complement-like responses that restrict infection. By characterizing both parasite strategies and mosquito defenses, we aim to uncover mechanisms shaping transmission success and identify potential targets for novel malaria interventions.

3. Malaria transmission blocking interventions. Identifying novel targets within both the parasite and mosquito in order to advance strategies for blocking malaria transmission. My current focus is on generating mosquitoes capable of expressing anti-Plasmodial effectors. These engineered effectors will then be disseminated in mosquito populations using gene drive mechanisms.

On going research projects:

1. Ectopic activation of human complement to target early sexual stages of Plasmodium falciparum in the mosquito vector:
This project aims to develop bispecific nanobodies that activate the human complement system on the surface of Plasmodium falciparum parasites within the mosquito midgut. By engineering nanobodies that simultaneously bind parasite surface proteins involved in gamete fertilization and the C1q complement factor, we aim to trigger complement activation on gametocytes and gametes, leading to parasite lysis. The most effective nanobody-encoding DNA sequences are then integrated into the genomes of transgenic mosquitoes, ensuring continuous parasite targeting and blocking malaria transmission.

2. Nanobody-mediated neutralization of Plasmodium falciparum fertilization and ookinete invasion in transgenic mosquitoes:
This project aims to develop transgenic Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes expressing small versions of antibodies, called nanobodies, blocking Plasmodium falciparum fertilization and ookinete invasion and disrupting malaria transmission. Using CRISPR/Cas9, nanobodies we integrate into the genomes of transgenic mosquitoes for targeted expression in the midgut, where they neutralize key parasite proteins involved in gametogenesis and fertilization and ookinete epithelial invasion. By leveraging gene drive technology, this approach offers a promising and sustainable strategy for malaria control.

3. Targeting novel molecular pathways of Plasmodium falciparum sexual and sporogonic development for malaria transmission blockade:
We have recently identified a novel aquaporin (AQP2) that plays an essential role in this process. AQP2 is localized in lysosome-like vesicles associated with an enigmatic organelle, called the crystalloid, which is crucial for oocyst maturation and sporozoite formation. We are focusing on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying AQP2 function and its putative role in the ookinete vesicular endomembrane system and crystalloid function. Through gene editing, advanced imaging, and biochemical approaches, we aim to characterise AQP2-associated pathways and assess their potential as targets for blocking malaria transmission. This research aims to pave the way for innovative strategies to disrupt the Plasmodium life cycle in the mosquito vector. 

4. Targeting Plasmodium egress from the invaded mosquito midgut epithelium as a novel strategy for blocking parasite development and malaria transmission:

After a mosquito feeds on a malaria-infected person, the parasites undergo fertilisation in the mosquito midgut and must invade and traverse midgut epithelial cells to establish infection in the mosquito body cavity. We have previously identified a subtilisin-like protease, SUBO (Subtilisin of Ookinete), also known as PIMMS2, as a critical factor in this process. SUBO likely facilitates ookinete egress from invaded epithelial cells and is conserved across Plasmodium species, making it a promising target for transmission-blocking interventions. We now aim to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which SUBO supports parasite traversal of the midgut epithelium and evaluate its potential as a target for innovative malaria control strategies. By expressing specific biologics in genetically modified mosquitoes, we aim to disrupt parasite development and block malaria transmission

Selected recent publications

Bailey, A.J., Vlachou, D*., & Christophides, G.K*. (2026). Oocyst: knowns and unknowns about the lengthiest life stage of the malaria parasite. Royal Society Open Biology, 16(4), 260009. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsob.260009

*Equal senior authors

Carlos, B.C., Voges, K., Affonso, P.H.A., Jaye, A., Rios, C.T., Tinoco-Nunes, B., Alonso, D.P., MacCallum, R.M., Moreno, M., Vlachou, D*., Souza-Neto, J.A*., & Christophides, G.K*. (2025). Metabolic reprogramming and gut microbiota ecology drive divergent Plasmodium vivax infection outcomes in Anopheles darlingi. PLOS Pathogens, in press. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.13.670040

*Equal senior and corresponding authors

Habtewold, T., Lwetoijera, et al. (2025). Gene-drive-capable mosquitoes suppress patient-derived malaria in Tanzania. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09685-6

Ukegbu, C.V., Mohamed, M., Hoermann, A., Qin, Y., Kweyamba, P.A., Lwetoijera, D.W., Windbichler, N., Moore, S., Christophides, G.K., & Vlachou, D. (2025). Nanobody-mediated targeting of Plasmodium falciparum PfPIMMS43 can block malaria transmission in mosquitoes. Communications Biology, 8, 683. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08033-8

Bailey, A.J., Ukegbu, C.V., Giorgalli, M., Besson, T.R.B., Christophides, G.K., & Vlachou, D. (2023). Intracellular Plasmodium aquaporin 2 is required for sporozoite production in the mosquito vector and malaria transmission. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 120(44), e2304339120. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2304339120

Ukegbu, C.V., Gomes, A.R., Giorgalli, M., Campos, M., Bailey, A.J., Besson, T.R.B., Billker, O., Vlachou, D.*, & Christophides, G.K.* (2023). Identification of genes required for Plasmodium gametocyte-to-sporozoite development in the mosquito vector. Cell Host & Microbe, 31(11), 1539–1551.e6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2023.08.010

*Equal senior and corresponding authors

Ukegbu, C.V., Christophides, G.K., & Vlachou, D. (2021). Identification of three novel Plasmodium factors involved in ookinete to oocyst developmental transition. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 15 March 2021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2021.641457

Ukegbu, C.V., Giorgalli, M., Tapanelli, S., Rona, L.D.P., Jaye, A., Wyer, C., Angrisano, F., Blagborough, A.M., Christophides, G.K., & Vlachou, D. (2020). Plasmodium PIMMS43 is required for ookinete evasion of the mosquito complement-like response and sporogonic development in the oocyst. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 117(13), 7363–7373. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1919709117

 Verkuijl, S.A.N., Del Corsano, G., Capriotti, P., Yen, P.S., Inghilterra, M.G., Selvaraj, P., Hoermann, A., Martinez-Sanchez, A., Ukegbu, C.V., Kebede, T.M., Vlachou, D., Christophides, G.K., & Windbichler, N. (2025). A suppression-modification gene drive for malaria control targeting the ultra-conserved RNA gene mir-184. Nature Communications, 16(1), 3923. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58954-5

Press Releases & Media Coverage

·       Tracking malaria parasite growth in mosquitoes may lead to new preventatives. (2021). Imperial College London. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/247595/tracking-malaria-parasite-growth-mosquitoes-lead/?fbclid=IwAR2UGkQkQDPrDWQab8M6gVBGgHVAIjrLLYCSV6-T1yoeI69BTrQjb_jVlLk

·       Malaria parasite gene could be effective drug target to block transmission. (2023). Imperial College London. https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/248974/malaria-parasite-gene-could-effective-drug/

Researchers shed new light on how malaria parasites evade mosquitos’ defences. (2020). Imperial College London.