Dr Francesco Baldini
- Senior Lecturer (Host-Parasite Interactions & Pathogenesis)
telephone:
0141 330 2430
email:
Francesco.Baldini@glasgow.ac.uk
Ri: Bahcm, Graham Kerr Building, room 303
Biography
Dr Francesco Baldini is a Lecturer at the University of Glasgow. During his PhD in Medical Entomology in three international institutions (Harvard University, Perugia University, Imperial College London) he has determined key molecular factors that contribute to malaria mosquito reproductive success. He has also led the first identification of Wolbachia bacteria in Anopheles mosquitoes, a promising novel biological tool to control malaria transmission.
In 2013 he has joined the University of Glasgow where he is investigating the ecology and evolution of life-history trade-offs in Anopheles mosquitoes and their impact on Plasmodium parasite interactions and disease transmission. He has also been leading the developmet of a novel surveillance tool for mosquito populations. He is interested in endosymbiont-pathogen interactions in vectors, with a focus on malaria parasites and Wolbachia, both in humans and wildlife. The primary aim of his research is to implement and sustain vector control strategies to fight malaria and other vector-borne disease.
Research interests
My research focuses on the ecological and evolutionary bases of Anopheles mosquito survival and other life-history traits in order to:
- Determine mosquito life-history shifts in response to vector control.
- Understand Plasmodium falciparum-Anopheles interactions.
- Elucidate vector modulation by endosymbionts in human and avian malaria.
- Develop new surveillance tools for natural vector populations.
- Sustain and optimize vector control strategies.
Personal research website: https://francescobaldini.wordpress.com/
Vector Biology and Disease Group: http://www.gla.ac.uk/vectors/
Twitter: @Baldini_Fra
Research groups
Grants
Grants and Awards listed are those received whilst working with the University of Glasgow.
- Assessing the risk of insect vector-borne diseases in Scotland and their response to environmental change.
UK Research and Innovation
2023 - 2026
- Expanding One Health research collaborations with USYD
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2022 - 2023
- A novel approach to assess malaria mosquito biological age to accelerate the implementation of vector control in endemic settings
Academy of Medical Sciences
2022 - 2024
- Infrared & AI to Diagnose and Quantify Onchocerca volvulus in Blackflies
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
2021 - 2023
- Advancing infrared and AI-based techniques for real time mosquito age-grading and evaluation of malaria vector control interventions in Africa
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
2021 - 2025
- Population biology and genomic studies of Anopheles funestus in Tanzania
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
2020 - 2023
- AI and InfraRed Spectroscopy to Accelerate Malaria Control
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
2020 - 2021
- AI-MIRS: An Online Platform for Malaria Vector Surveillance in Africa using Artificial Intelligence and Mosquito InfraRed Spectroscopy
The Royal Society
2019 - 2021
- Mosquito life-history responses to vector control measures and their implications for malaria transmission
AXA Research Fund
2015 - 2017
- Analysis of the ecological and genetic bases of mosquito fitness in two major malaria vectors (ISSF Fellowship)
Wellcome Trust
2014 - 2015
Supervision
- Casas Gomez-Uribarri, Ivan
Investigating the interactions between ambient temperature, mosquito ageing and Plasmodium EIP - Cox, Mimi
Identification of genomic components that predict the transmission of the malaria parasite - Johnston, Erin
N/A - KAHAMBA, NAJAT FERUZI
Dry season ecology of Anopheles funestus in Tanzania - Mshani, Issa Hassani
Deep diagnostics: using IR spectroscopy and machine-learning to improve malaria diagnosis in LMIC - Mwanga, Emmanuel
Using machine learning & infrared spectroscopy for rapid assessment of key indicators of malaria transmission - Odero, Joel Ouma
Population biology and genetic structure of An. funestus
Teaching
Level 3 Animal Physiology, Behavioural Ecology