Docent Ayman Khattab is a parasitologist at the University of Helsinki whose research focuses on Plasmodium falciparum biology, malaria immunity, and the development of innovative interventions for malaria prevention and control. His work combines molecular parasitology, immunology, and field-based studies in endemic regions.
Khattab has uncovered key mechanisms by which malaria parasites and their mosquito vectors evade host immune defenses. He showed that sporozoites hijack the human complement inhibitor C4b-binding protein to resist killing, and that Anopheles mosquitoes protect their midgut epithelium by capturing factor H from the human blood meal. He has also investigated clonally variant antigen families such as PfEMP1, RIFINs, and STEVORs, clarifying their roles in immune evasion and erythrocyte invasion.
He has contributed extensively to research on pregnancy-associated malaria, identifying conserved var gene variants mediating placental sequestration and maternal antibody responses associated with protection. This work formed the basis of his PhD at the Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, with field studies at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon. He later conducted postdoctoral research at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg.
In applied research, he pioneered the development of 3D window double screens (3D-WDS), a non-insecticidal vector control tool currently under evaluation in large-scale community trials in Tanzania. He also collaborates on drug discovery projects targeting parasite-specific enzymes.
His long-term goal is to translate molecular insights into practical interventions—vaccines, immunotherapies, and sustainable vector control tools—that contribute to malaria prevention and elimination.
University Researcher
Translational Immunology Research Program
+358294126395
Subam is a final-year doctoral student in the Doctoral Programme in Population Health at the University of Helsinki. His PhD research focuses on the development and evaluation of the 3D-Screen, an insecticide-free malaria vector control tool tested in both semi-field and community trials in Africa. With a background in molecular medicine and medical anthropology, he brings an interdisciplinary perspective that combines vector biology, immunology, and community health to develop sustainable and community-oriented malaria interventions.
Maija is a doctoral researcher in the Doctoral Programme in Population Health at the University of Helsinki. With a background in Development Studies and Geography, she brings an interdisciplinary and community-centered perspective to global health research. Her PhD focuses on malaria control field trials in Tanzania, exploring the social, ethical, and practical dimensions of fieldwork and community engagement. She is particularly interested in amplifying local perspectives in global health interventions and contributing to discussions on research ethics and sustainability.
Outside of research, she enjoys outdoor activities, jogging, mushroom picking, ceramics, handicrafts, and backcountry snowboarding.
Roope is a second-year master’s student in the Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology programme at the University of Helsinki. He is conducting his thesis research under the supervision of Ayman Khattab and Seppo Meri, focusing on the interactions between the malaria parasite and the immune system. Outside the lab, Roope enjoys training and playing floorball, and in his free time, he relaxes by reading or spending time with friends.