Interview Response

   Interview Response

We decided to interview Dr. Janet Cooper, a professor at Rockhurst University, who teaches courses such as Cell Biology and Microbiology.

Q1: Why should a researcher studying Malaria know about evolution?

The organism is going to change over time and in order to come up with medicines or vaccines, you need to be able to track those changes and understand that those changes are going to happen.

Q2: What do you think that grid computing can do for research, specifically malaria?

 I think that using grid computing would be beneficial in being able to find something that would match up with a protein on the malarial parasite and would be very helpful in terms of finding a new drug or vaccine. The possibilities are pretty good with grid computing.

Q3: Why do you think that Malaria is so difficult to treat?

Organisms that end up entering the cell are always much trickier to get out. You need a whole new approach to treatment with this occurs.

Q4: Why do you think that Malaria is so much more common in rural areas, particularly Africa?

I think that a lot of it has to do with mosquito control. It used to be in the United States and they were able to, with the help of eradication programs, get rid of most of the infected mosquitos. This was one of the things that the CDC was originally tasked to do in the late 1800's- early 1900's. But today with global travel, there will always be a chance that it can return. I think that Africa just doesn't have the health infrastructure that the United States has.

Q5: Do you think that a more adequate solution to the Malaria problem is the eradication of the infected mosquitos or the prevention of the disease in humans with a vaccine?

I feel that the vaccine would have a much better chance in preventing the disease in humans. Actually, one of the big things that the Bill Gates foundation is currently working on is a vaccine for malaria. I saw not too long ago that they were working on trials for vaccine testing, so hopefully we can see the results of their testing soon.

We want to thank Dr. Cooper for her time and input on Malaria.


 After talking with Dr. Cooper, our feelings towards the project were reassured. Malaria is a big deal, and hopefully our efforts can make an impact on trying to aid in the fight against Malaria. We all feel that a disease like this needs to be at the forefront for combating diseases throughout the world, because it has such a large impact. We also discussed that it is not as prevalent in the United States, but we should still work hard to fight this disease.
     After the interview, we gained a better understanding of how this grid computing project can aid in the fight against Malaria. Dr. Cooper helped to explain that Malaria is like an endless cycle, and that a vaccine would be most beneficial way to fight Malaria. It is incredible to know how many people are affected by Malaria around the world, and that a vaccine could dramatically affect the lives of millions of people.
    The interview changed the way we thought about Malaria and how the process of Malaria infects humans. We also gained a better understanding of why it is so popular in African nations and other areas. It also makes us realize how fortunate we are in America to have such a good medical system compared to other places around the world.
    Malaria evolves just as every living thing does. Recently, drug resistant Malaria has taken form. This form of Malaria is a huge problem and studying evolution can help to better understand the evolutionary process behind it. Hopefully, we can learn about this and make a change to prevent such occurrences.