The Aroian/Ostroff Groups: Improving Global Health

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) are the most common and some of the most debilitating and destructive parasites of humans and animals (e.g., dogs, cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, poultry…) worldwide.  These parasites, such as hookworms (Ancylostoma, Necator), giant roundworms (Ascaris), whipworms (Trichuris), threadworms (Strongyloides), Haemonchus, Parascaris, Ostertagia, ascarids,… can cause malnutrition, growth stunting, cognitive deficits, adverse pregnancy outcomes, low energy, loss of education and income, poor productivity, weakened immunity, and even death.  New cures and vaccines are desperately needed but as the people infected are the poorest on earth and profit margins are suboptimal, little is done for new drug/vaccine development.  We and our close collaborators are working to change this equation.  We are passionate about using natural products, small-molecule screens, and data-rich techniques (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics) to better understand how these parasites affect us and to bring to the clinic new cures and vaccines to help humanity, livestock, and companion animals.  Click on “Research” to learn more.