Professor J. Alexandra Rowe

Location: Room 4.59, Ashworth 3, Charlotte Auerbach Rd, The King’s Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL

Telephone: +44-131-650-5492

Email: Alex.Rowe@ed.ac.uk

CV

University of Edinburgh (1998 – current)

  • Personal Chair in Molecular Medicine 2009
  • Renewal of Wellcome Senior Research Fellowship in Basic Biomedical Science (2008 – 2015)
  • Wellcome Senior Research Fellow in Basic Biomedical Science (2002 – 2008)
  • Wellcome Research Career Development Fellow (1998 – 2002)

University of Oxford (1997 – 1998)

  • Postdoctoral fellow in Professor Chris Newbold’s laboratory (Wellcome International Prize Travelling Research Fellowship).

National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA (1995 – 1997)

  • Postdoctoral fellow in Dr Louis Miller’s laboratory. (Wellcome International Prize Travelling Research Fellowship)

University of Oxford (1991 – 1995)

  • Graduate student in Professor Chris Newbold’s laboratory.

Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, St Mary’s Hospital, London, UK (1990 – 1991).

  • Research assistant in Dr Friedrich Propst’s laboratory.

Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK (1989 – 1990)

  • House officer in general medicine, neurology and orthopaedic surgery.

Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang and Goroka, Papua New Guinea (1987 – 1988).

  • Research assistant.

Career break:

  • December 2002 – April 2003. Maternity leave.
    After returning from maternity leave I worked part-time (80% FTE ) from 2003–2013.

Degrees:

  • D. Phil. (University of Oxford 1995)
  • M.B. Ch.B. (University of Sheffield 1989)

Research interests:

Publications:

Kariuki SN, Marin-Menendez A, Introini V, Ravenhill BJ, Lin Y-C, Macharia A, Makale J, Tendwa M, Nyamu W, Kotar J, Carrasquilla M, Rowe JA, Rockett K, Kwiatkowski D, Weekes MP, Cicuta P, Williams TN, Rayner JC. 2020.

Red blood cell tension controls Plasmodium falciparum invasion and protects against severe malaria in the Dantu blood group.
Nature 585: 579-583.

McQuaid F, Rowe JA. 2020.

Rosetting revisited: a critical look at the evidence for host erythrocyte receptors in Plasmodium falciparum rosetting.
Parasitology 147:1-11. doi: 10.1017 /S0031182019001288.

Zhou AE, Berry AA, Bailey JA, Pike A, Dara A, Agrawal S, Stucke EM, Ouattara A, Coulibaly D, Lyke KE, Laurens MB, Adams M, Takala-Harrison S, Pablo J, Jasinskas A, Nakajima R, Niangaly A, Kouriba B, Kone AK, Rowe JA, Doumbo OK, Thera MA, Patel JJ, Tan JC, Felgner PL, Plowe CV, Travassos MA. 2019.

Antibodies to peptides in semiconserved domains of RIFINs and STEVORs correlate with malaria exposure.  
mSphere 4: e00097-19. doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00097-19.

Stucke EM, Niangaly A, Berry AA, Bailey JA, Coulibaly D, Ouattara A, Lyke KE, Laurens MB, Dara A, Adams M, Pablo J, Jasinskas A, Nakajima R, Zhou AE, Agrawal S, Friedman-Klabanoff DJ, Takala-Harrison S, Kouriba B, Kone AK, Rowe JA, Doumbo OK, Felgner PL, Thera MA, Plowe CV, Travassos MA. 2019.

Serologic responses to the PfEMP1 DBL-CIDR head structure may be a better indicator of malaria exposure than those to the DBLalpha tag.
Malaria Journal 18:273. doi: 10.1186/s12936-019-2905-9

Azasi Y, Lindergard G, Ghumra A, Mu J, Miller LH, Rowe JA. 2018.

Infected erythrocytes expressing DC13 PfEMP1 differ from recombinant proteins in EPCR-binding function
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U S A 115:1063-1068 doi: 10.1073/pnas.1712879115. PDF

Travassos MA, Niangaly A, Bailey JA, Coulibaly D, Lyke KE, Laurens MB, Pablo J, Jasinskas A, Nakajima R, Berry A, Adams M, Jacob CG, Pike A, Takala-Harrison S, Liang L, Kouriba B, Kone AK, Rowe JA, Moulds J, Diallo DA, Doumbo OK, Thera MA, Felgner PL, Plowe CV. 2018.

Children with cerebral malaria or severe malarial anaemia lack immunity to distinct variant surface antigen subsets.
Scientific Reports 8:6281. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-24462-4.

Opi H, Swann OV, Macharia A, Uyoga S, Band G, Ndila CM, Harrison E, Thera MA, Kone AK, Diallo DA, Doumbo OK, Lyke KE, Plowe CV, Moulds JM, Shebbe M, Mturi N, Peshu N, Maitland K, Raza A, Kwiatkowski DP, Rockett KA, Williams TN, Rowe JA. 2018.

Two complement receptor one alleles have opposing associations with cerebral malaria and interact with a+thalassaemia.
Elife 7: e31579. doi: 10.7554/eLife.31579.

Swann OV, Harrison EM, Opi DH, Nyatichi E, Macharia A, Uyoga S, Williams TN, Rowe JA. 2017.

No Evidence that Knops Blood Group Polymorphisms Affect Complement Receptor 1 Clustering on Erythrocytes
Scientific Reports 7:17825 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-17664-9

Opi DH, Ugoya S, Williams TN, Rowe JA. 2016.

Red blood cell Complement Receptor One level varies with Knops blood group, alpha+thalassaemia and age among Kenyan children.
Genes and Immunity doi: 10.1038/gene.2016.2. PDF

Semblat JP, Ghumra A, Czajkowsky DM, Mitchell DA, Wallis R, Raza A, Rowe JA. 2015.

Identification of the minimal binding region of a Plasmodium falciparum IgM binding PfEMP1 domain. 
Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 201:76-82. doi: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2015.06.001. PDF

Travassos MA, Niangaly A, Bailey JA, Ouattara A, Coulibaly D, Laurens MB, Pablo J, Jasinskas A, Nakajima-Sasaki R, Berry AA, Takala-Harrison S, Kouriba B, Rowe JA, Lyke KE, Doumbo OK, Thera MA, Felgner PL, Plowe CV. 2015.

Differential recognition of Plasmodium falciparum VAR2CSA fragments by sera from multigravid malaria-exposed Malian women.
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 92:1190-1194. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0524 PDF

Adams Y, Khunrae P, Higgins M, Ghumra A, Rowe JA. 2014.

Rosetting Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes bind to human brain microvascular endothelial cells in vitro, demonstrating a dual adhesion phenotype mediated by distinct P. falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 domains.
Infection and Immunity 82:949-959. DOI: 10.1128/IAI.01233-13. PDF

Opi DH, Ochola LB, Tendwa M, Siddondo BR, Ocholla H, Fanjo H, Ghumra A, Ferguson DJP, Williams TN*, Rowe JA* (joint senior authors). 2014.

Mechanistic Studies of the Negative Epistatic Malaria-protective Interaction Between Sickle Cell Trait and α+thalassemia
EBioMedicine 1;1:29-36 doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2014.10.006 PDF

Stevenson L, Huda P, Jeppesen A, Laursen E, Rowe JA, Craig A, Streicher W, Barfod L, Hviid L. 2014.

Investigating the function of Fc-specific binding of IgM to Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 mediating erythrocyte rosetting
Cellular Microbiology 17:819-831. doi: 10.1111/cmi.12403 PDF

Rowe JA. 2014.

Rosetting (Book chapter)
Encyclopedia of Malaria DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-8757-9_117-1 PDF

Arman M, Adams Y, Lindergard G, Rowe JA. 2013.

A method for positive and negative selection of Plasmodium falciparum platelet-mediated clumping parasites and investigation of the role of CD36.
PLoS ONE 8: e55453. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055453 PDF

Adams Y, Rowe JA. 2013.

The effect of anti-rosetting agents against malaria parasites under physiological flow conditions
PLoS ONE 16;8:e73999. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073999. PDF

Travassos M, Niangaly A, Bailey JA, Ouattara A, Coulibaly D, Laurens MB, Pablo J, Jasinskas A, Nakajima-Sasaki R, Berry AA, Takala-Harrison S, Kouriba B, Rowe JA, Lyke KE, Doumbo OK, Thera MA, Felgner PL, Plowe CV. 2013.

Seroreactivity to Plasmodium falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 Intracellular Domain in Malaria-Exposed Children and Adults.
Journal of Infectious Diseases 208:1514-1519 doi: 10.1093/infdis/jit339 PDF

Smith JD, Rowe JA, Higgins MK, Lavstsen T. 2013.

Malaria’s Deadly Grip: Cytoadhesion of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes.
Cellular Microbiology 15:1976-83 doi: 10.1111/cmi.12183. PDF

Rowe JA. 2013.

Revealing the secrets of malaria parasite interaction with blood group A sugars. (Commentary)
Pathogens and Global Health 107: 44-45. PDF

Ghumra A, Semblat J-P, Ataide R, Kifude C, Adams Y, Claessens A, Anong DN, Bull PC, Fennell C, Arman M, Amambua-Ngwa A, Walther M, Conway DJ, Kassambara L, Doumbo O, Raza A, Rowe JA. 2012.

Induction of Strain-Transcending Antibodies Against Group A PfEMP1 Surface Antigens from Virulent Malaria Parasites.
PLoS Pathogens 8: e1002665.doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1002665 PDF

Claessens A, Adams Y, Ghumra A, Lindergard G, Buchan C, Andisi C, Bull PC, Mok S, Gupta AP, Wang CW, Turner L, Arman M, Raza A, Bozdech Z, Rowe JA. 2012.

A subset of Group A-like var genes encode the malaria parasite ligands for binding to human brain endothelial cells.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U S A 109:E1772-1781. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1120461109 PDF

Tetteh-Quarcoo PB, Schmidt CQ, Tham W-H, Hauhart R, Mertens H, Rowe A, Atkinson, JF, Cowman A, Rowe JA, Barlow PN. 2012.

Lack of Evidence from Studies of Soluble Protein Fragments that Knops Blood Group Polymorphisms in Complement Receptor-Type 1 are Driven by Malaria.  
PLoS ONE 7: e34820. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0034820 PDF

Claessens A, Rowe JA. 2012.

Selection of Plasmodium falciparum parasites for cytoadhesion to human brain microvascular endothelial cells.
Journal of Visualized Experiments 59:e3122. doi: 10.3791/3122 PDF

Claessens A, Ghumra A, Gupta AP, Mok S, Bozdech Z, Rowe JA. 2011.

Design of a variant surface antigen-supplemented microarray chip for whole transcriptome analysis of multiple Plasmodium falciparum cytoadherent strains, and identification of strain-transcendent rif and stevor genes.
Malaria Journal 10:180. doi:10.1186/1475-2875-10-180 PDF

Ghumra A, Khunrae P, Ataide R, Raza A, Rogerson SJ, Higgins MK, Rowe JA. 2011.

Immunisation with recombinant PfEMP1 domains elicits functional rosette-inhibiting and phagocytosis-inducing antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum.
PLoS ONE 6: e16414. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0016414 PDF

Corrigan RA, Rowe JA. 2010.

Strain variation in early innate cytokine induction by Plasmodium falciparum.
Parasite Immunology 32:512-527 PDF

Czajkowsky DM, Salanti A, Ditlev SB, Shao Z, Ghumra A, Rowe JA, Pleass RJ. 2010.

IgM, FcμRs, and Malarial Immune Evasion.
Journal of Immunology 184:459-4603 PDF

Doumbo OK, Thera MA, Koné AK, Raza A, Tempest LJ, Lyke KE, Plowe CV, Rowe JA. 2009.

High levels of Plasmodium falciparum rosetting in all clinical forms of severe malaria in African children.
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 81:987-993 PDF

Smargiasso N, Gabelica V, Damblon C, Rosu F, De Pauw E, Teulade-Fichou MP, Rowe JA, Claessens A. 2009.

Putative DNA G-Quadruplex formation within the promoters of Plasmodium falciparum var genes.
BMC Genomics 10:362 PDF

Rowe JA, Claessens A, Corrigan RA, Arman M. 2009.

Adhesion of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes to human cells: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic implications.
Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine 11:e16 PDF

Rowe JA, Opi DH, Williams TN. 2009.

Blood groups and malaria: insights into pathogenesis and identification of targets for intervention.  
Current Opinion in Hematology 16:480-487 PDF

Arman M, Rowe JA. 2008.

Experimental conditions affect the outcome of Plasmodium falciparum platelet-mediated clumping assays.
Malaria Journal 7:243 PDF

Ghumra A, Semblat J-P, McIntosh RS, Raza A, Rasmussen IB, Braathen R, Johansen F-E, Sandie I, Mongini PK, Pleass RJ, Rowe JA. 2008.

Identification of residues in the Cmm4 domain of polymeric IgM essential for interaction with Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1).
Journal of Immunology 181:1988-2000 PDF
Joint senior authors: Pleass RJ and Rowe JA

Arman M, Raza A, Tempest LJ, Lyke KE, Thera MA, Koné A, Plowe CV, Doumbo OK, Rowe JA. 2007.

Platelet-mediated clumping of Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes is associated with high parasitaemia but not severe clinical manifestations of malaria in African children.
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 77:943-946 PDF

Deans A-M, Nery S, Conway DJ, Kai O, Marsh K, Rowe JA. 2007.

Invasion pathways and malaria severity in Kenyan Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates.
Infection and Immunity 75: 3014-3020 PDF

Kyriacou HM, Steen KE, Raza A,, Arman M, Warimwe G, Bull PC, Havlik I, Rowe JA. 2007.

In vitro inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum rosette formation by curdlan sulphate.
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 51: 1321-1326 PDF

Rowe JA, Handel IG, Thera MA, Deans A-M, Lyke KE, Koné A, Diallo DA, Raza A, Kai O, Marsh K, Plowe CV, Doumbo OK, Moulds JM. 2007.

Blood group O protects against severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria through the mechanism of reduced rosetting.  
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U S A 104, 17471-17476 PDF

Deans A-M, Lyke KE, Thera MA, Plowe CV, Koné A, Doumbo OK, Kai O, Marsh K, Mackinnon MJ, Raza A, Rowe JA. 2006.

Low multiplication rates of African Plasmodium falciparum isolates and lack of association of multiplication rate and red cell selectivity with malaria virulence.
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 74: 554-563 PDF

Deans A-M, Rowe JA. 2006.

Plasmodium falciparum: rosettes do not protect merozoites from invasion-inhibitory antibodies.
Experimental Parasitology 112: 269-273 PDF

Duffy MF, Caragounis A, Noviyanti R, Kyriacou HM, Choong EK, Boysen K, Healer J, Rowe JA, Molyneux ME, Brown GV, Rogerson SJ. 2006.

Transcribed var genes associated with placental malaria in Malawian women.
Infection and Immunity 74: 4875-4883 PDF

Kaestli M, Cockburn IA, Cortés A, Baea K, Rowe JA, Beck HP. 2006.

Virulence of malaria is associated with differential expression of Plasmodium falciparum var gene subgroups in a case-control study.
Journal of Infectious Diseases 193: 1567-1574 PDF

Kyriacou HM, Stone GN, Challis RJ, Raza A, Lyke KE, Thera MA, Koné AK, Doumbo OK, Plowe CV, Rowe JA. 2006.

Differential var gene transcription in Plasmodium falciparum isolates from patients with cerebral malaria compared to hyperparasitaemia.
Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 150: 211-218 PDF

Nery S, Deans AM, Mosobo M, Marsh K, Rowe JA, Conway DJ. 2006.

Expression of Plasmodium falciparum genes involved in erythrocyte invasion varies among isolates cultured directly from patients.
Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 149: 208-215 PDF

Semblat J-P, Raza A, Kyes SA, Rowe JA. 2006.

Identification of Plasmodium falciparum var1CSA and var2CSA domains that bind IgM natural antibodies.
Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 146: 192-197 PDF

Cockburn IA, Rowe JA. 2005.

Erythrocyte complement receptor one (CR1) expression level is not associated with polymorphisms in the promoter or 3′ untranslated regions of the CR1 gene.
International Journal of Immunogenetics 33:17-20 PDF

Rowe JA. 2005.

Rosetting.
ASM Press Washington D.C U.S.A Chapter 22 in Molecular Approaches to Malaria, Edited by. I. Sherman.

Thomas BN, Donvito B, Cockburn I, Fandeur T, Rowe JA, Cohen JH, Moulds JM. 2005.

A Complement Receptor-1 polymorphism with high frequency in malaria endemic regions of Asia but not Africa.
Genes and Immunity 6:31-36 PDF

Rowe JA, Kyes SA. 2004.

The role of Plasmodium falciparum var genes in malaria in pregnancy.
Molecular Microbiology 53:1011-1019 PDF

Cockburn IA, Mackinnon M, O'Donnell A, Allen SJ, Moulds JM, Baisor M, Bockarie M, Reeder JC, Rowe JA. 2004.

A human complement receptor one polymorphism that reduces Plasmodium falciparum rosetting confers protection against severe malaria.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U S A 101:272-277 PDF

Moulds JM, Thomas BJ, Doumbo O, Diallo DA, Lyke K, Plowe CV, Rowe JA, Birmingham D. 2004.

Identification of the Kna/Knb polymorphism and a method for Knops genotyping.
Transfusion 44:164-169 PDF

Creasey AM, Staalsoe T, Raza A, Arnot DE, Rowe JA. 2003.

Nonspecific immunoglobulin M binding and chondroitin sulfate A binding are linked phenotypes of Plasmodium falciparum isolates implicated in malaria during pregnancy.
Infection and Immunity 71: 4767-4771 PDF

Kyes SA, Christodoulou Z, Raza A, Horrocks P, Pinches R, Newbold CI, Rowe JA. 2003.

A well-conserved Plasmodium falciparum var gene shows an unusual stage-specific transcript pattern.
Molecular Microbiology 48: 1339-1348 PDF
Newbold CI and Rowe JA, joint senior authors.

Zimmerman PA, Fitness J, Moulds JM, McNamara DT, Kasehagen LJ, Rowe JA, Hill AV. 2003.

CR1 Knops blood group alleles are not associated with severe malaria in the Gambia.
Genes and Immunity 4: 368-373 PDF

Rowe JA, Kyes SA, Babiker HA, Rogerson S, Raza A. 2002.

Identification of a conserved Plasmodium falciparum var gene implicated in malaria in pregnancy.
Journal of Infectious Diseases 185: 1207-1211 PDF

Rowe JA, Obiero J, Marsh K, Raza A. 2002.

Positive correlation between rosetting and parasitemia in Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates.
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 66, 458-460 PDF

Rowe JA, Raza A, Diallo DA, Baby M, Poudiougo B, Coulibaly D, Cockburn IA, Middleton J, Lyke KE, Plowe CV, Doumbo OK, Moulds JM. 2002.

Erythrocyte complement receptor 1 expression levels do not correlate with a Hind III restriction fragment length polymorphism in Africans; implications for studies on malaria susceptibility.
Genes and Immunity 3: 497-500 PDF

Rowe JA, Shafi J, Kai O, Marsh K, Raza A. 2002.

Nonimmune IgM but not IgG binds to the surface of Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes and correlates with rosetting and severe malaria.
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 66, 692-699 PDF

Cockburn IA, Donvito B, Cohen JC, Rowe JA. 2002.

A simple method for quantification of complement receptor 1 on erythrocytes preserved by fixing or freezing.
Journal of Immunological Methods 271: 59-64 PDF

Mackinnon MJ, Walker PR, Rowe JA. 2002.

Plasmodium chabaudi: rosetting in a rodent malaria model.
Experimental Parasitology 101 :121-128 PDF
(See also erratum.)

Beeson JG, Cooke BM, Rowe JA, Rogerson SJ. 2002.

Expanding the paradigm of placental malaria infection (Research Update).
Trends in Parasitology 18: 145-147 PDF

Moulds JM, Zimmerman PA, Doumbo OK, Kassambara L, Sagara I, Diallo DA, Atkinson JP, Krych-Goldberg M, Hauhart RE, Hourcade DE, McNamara DT, Birmingham DJ, Rowe JA, Moulds JJ, Miller LH. 2001.

Molecular identification of Knops blood group polymorphisms found in long homologous region D of complement receptor 1.
Blood 97: 2879-2885 PDF

Rowe JA, Rogerson S, Raza A, Moulds JM, Atkinson JP, Newbold CI, Miller LH. 2000.

Mapping of the region of complement receptor (CR) 1 required for P. falciparum rosetting and demonstration of the importance of CR1 in rosetting in field isolates.
Journal of Immunology 165: 6341-6346 PDF

Rowe JA, Kyes SA, Kriek N, Newbold CI. 1999.

Rifins: A second family of clonally variant proteins expressed on the surface of red cells infected with Plasmodium falciparum.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 96: 9333-9338 PDF
Joint first authors: Rowe JA and Kyes SA

Newbold C, Craig A, Kyes S, Rowe A, Fernandez-Reyes D, Fagan T. 1999.

Cytoadherence, pathogenesis and the infected red cell surface in Plasmodium falciparum.
International Journal of Parasitology 29: 927-937 PDF

Rowe JA, Scragg IG, Kwiatkowski D, Ferguson DJP, Carucci DJ, Newbold CI. 1998.

Implications of Mycoplasma contamination in Plasmodium falciparum cultures and methods for its detection and eradication.
Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 92: 177-180 PDF

Rowe JA, Moulds JM, Newbold CI, Miller LH. 1997.

P. falciparum rosetting mediated by a parasite-variant erythrocyte membrane protein and complement-receptor 1.
Nature 388: 292-295 PDF

Rowe JA, Obeiro J, Newbold CI, Marsh K. 1995.

Plasmodium falciparum rosetting is associated with malaria severity in Kenya.
Infection and Immunity 63: 2323-2326 PDF

Rowe JA, Berendt AR, Marsh K, Newbold CI. 1994.

Plasmodium falciparum: A family of sulphated glycoconjugates disrupts erythrocyte rosettes.
Experimental Parasitology 79: 506-516 PDF