Lamar Dodd Creative Research Award

Dennis E. Kyle, professor of cellular biology and infectious diseases, is one of the top parasitologists in the world due to his work on multiple parasitic diseases. Kyle also serves as director of the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, and some of his most recent and high-impact work focuses on discovery of new drugs that eliminate dormant vivax malaria that can linger in the liver for months, even years. His group has discovered several new drug series that target the dormant liver stages and is moving these novel therapeutics through pre-clinical studies. He also works on Naegleria fowleri, a rare but deadly parasite also known as “brain-eating amoebae.” More than 97% of people infected with these amoebae die within two weeks. Kyle has conducted high-impact research into that pathogen, leading to effective repurposed drugs and the first rapid, sensitive diagnostic method.