Photini Sinnis
Malaria: cell biology & transmission dynamics
Professor
Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology
Bloomberg School of Public Health
Research Overview
The Sinnis Laboratory studies the sporozoite stage of Plasmodium, the infectious stage of the malaria parasite, inoculated by mosquitoes into the mammalian host. The impressive journey of sporozoites, from the midgut wall of the mosquito where they emerge from oocysts, to their final destination in the mammalian liver, is the major focus of our investigations. Using classic biochemistry, mutational analysis, intravital imaging, and proteomics, we aim to understand the molecular interactions between sporozoites and their mosquito and mammalian hosts that lead to the establishment of malaria infection.
Additional Titles
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine
Deputy Director, Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute
Selected Publications
- Kanatani S, Stiffler D, Bousema T, Yenokyan G, Sinnis P. Revisiting the Plasmodium sporozoite inoculum and elucidating the efficiency with which malaria parasites progress through the mosquito. Nature Communications, 2024.
- Hopp CS, Kanatani S, Archer NK, Miller RJ, Liu H, Chiou KK, Miller LS, Sinnis P. Comparative intravital imaging of human and rodent malaria sporozoites reveals the skin is not a species-specific barrier. EMBO Molecular Medicine, 2021.
- Coppi A, Natarajan R, Pradel G, Bennett BL, James ER, Roggero MA, Corradin G, Persson C, Tewari R, Sinnis P. The malaria circumsporozoite protein has two functional domains, each with distinct roles as sporozoites journey from mosquito to mammalian host. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2011.