Christopher V. Plowe, MD, MPH
Photo: Christopher Plowe

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Elected 2005

An acclaimed scientist and malariologist, Christopher Plowe, MD, MPH, FASTMH, is recognized internationally for his groundbreaking work on the molecular epidemiology of drug-resistant and "vaccine-resistant" malaria. Dr. Plowe has worked for many years with research partners in Africa, where he helped establish field research sites in Mali and Malawi, and more recently in Asia, where he is a frequent traveler to field sites in Myanmar, China and Bangladesh. While much of today's research on malaria focuses on developing new drugs or vaccines that might save lives in the future, Dr. Plowe's strategy aims to save lives right now by developing new tools to help countries eliminate malaria. His team is using molecular and genomics approaches to track the emergence and spread of drug resistance and to map the "silent reservoir" of malaria parasites responsible for transmission of new infections. He is also working to accelerate malaria elimination by strengthening local capacities for research and surveillance, and through global health diplomacy that aims to build political will and community support for elimination. Dr. Plowe received his MD degree from Cornell University Medical College and his MPH at the Columbia University School of Public Health. He completed his residency at St. Luke's Hospital and fellowships at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine before joining the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he was the Frank M. Calia, MD Professor of Medicine and founding director of the Institute for Global Health. In 2018 he joined Duke University, where he was a Professor of Medicine, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, and Global Health, and Director of the Duke Global Health Institute.