Dr Janet Storm

Post Doctoral Research Assistant

Areas of interest

Malaria, Cytoadherence, Metabolism

Background

I worked for many years as research technician in The Netherlands before moving to the UK to work at the University of Oxford, where I also completed my part-time PhD via the Open University. After working as postdoctoral research assistant at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology at the University of Glasgow, I joined LSTM in 2012 to work in the group of Prof. Alister Craig, although most of my research takes place at the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi.

Research

Initially a protein biochemist, my research interests have broadened and now include various aspects of malaria. After working on the metabolism of P. falciparum, the parasite causing malaria, my current research focusses on the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria. This complication of malaria results in coma and is associated with the sequestration and cytoadherence of P. falciparum infected erythrocytes to small vessel endothelium in the brain. Various host receptors have been identified, but how these interactions play a role in the progression of malaria is poorly understood. My research is trying to understand the mechanisms of sequestration and cytoadherence by investigating the ability of P. falciparum isolates from children with cerebral malaria and uncomplicated malaria to bind to microvascular endothelial cells in an in vitro model. Undertaking the research at MLW gives us the advantage to study the parasites when they come straight from the patient and importantly, it also builds local research capacity. 

Other relevant expertise, professional memberships etc.

  • Member of the British Society for Parasitology
Recent publications: 

    Selected publications

    • Selected Publications

      Storm, J. & Craig, A. G. (2014) Pathogenesis of cerebral malaria--inflammation and cytoadherence, Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology. 4, 100.

      Storm, J., Sethia, S., Blackburn, G.J., Chokkathukalam, A., Watson D.G., Breitling R., Coombs G.H. and Müller, S. (2014) Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase identified as a key enzyme in erythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum  carbon metabolism. PloS Pathog. 10, e1003876.

      Storm J. and Müller S. (2012) Lipoic acid metabolism of Plasmodium - a suitable drug target. Curr Pharm Des. 18 (24): 3480-9.

      Storm J., Perner J., Aparicio I., Patzewitz E.M., Olszewski K., Llinas M., Engel P.C. and Muller S. (2011) Plasmodium falciparum glutamate dehydrogenase a is dispensable and not a drug target during erythrocytic development. Malar J. 10: 193.

      Storm J., Patzewitz E.M. and Müller S. (2011) Lipoic acid acquisition and glutathione biosynthesis in apicomplexan parasites.  In “Apicomplexan Parasites: Molecular Approaches toward Targeted Drug Development” (eds. K. Becker and P. Selzer). John Wiley & sons 2011 (ISBN: 978-3-527-32731-7).