Rita Tewari Explained

Rita Tewari
Birth Place:Delhi, India
Workplaces:University of Nottingham

Rita Tewari is an Indian parasitologist who studies the cell and molecular biology of malaria. She currently holds a post as professor at the University of Nottingham.

Early life and education

Tewari was born in Delhi, India, however she moved to the North-East of the country when she was growing up. Her father was a professor in social sciences. Tewari reports having contracted malaria seven times when she was young.[1] [2] [3] She initially wanted to study medicine at university but had to read zoology instead due to a lack of choice in her local area. She returned to the city of her birth for her PhD, studying X-chromosome genetics at the University of Delhi.[4]

Career

Tewari held a number of research posts across Europe after completing her PhD in 1989. In chronological order these included a postdoc at the Institut national de la recherche agronomique, France, senior research associate positions at the National Institute for Medical Research/University of Cambridge and Erasmus University Rotterdam, and as a senior scientist at the Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology, Norway.[5] In 1999 she was hired as a research lecturer at Imperial College London, where she first began working on malaria using mice models. She remained here for nine years, notably contributing to research into the role of a calcium-dependent protein kinase in the life cycle of Plasmodium berghei with the lab of Oliver Billker.[6] [7] The results demonstrated the importance of the protein and calcium release in the conversion of sexual blood stage forms of the parasite into reproductive forms upon being taken up by the mosquito.

Tewari became a lecturer at the University of Nottingham in 2008, and was subsequently promoted to associate professor in 2012, and full professor in 2015.

Tewari and her lab have focused on studying the molecular players in malaria transmission and development, using the rodent malaria P. berghei as a model, in the hope of discovering new targets for drugs.[8] A 2012 study published by the group identified a malarial phosphotase essential for the parasite to become and function as the ookinete form, which spreads the parasite through the mosquito.[9] [10] A year later they helped discover a calcium transporter also essential for growth of the parasite.[11] [12] In 2014 Tewari's group published a genetic screen of phosphatases identified across the P. berghei genome.[13] A genetic knock-out could not be generated for half of the genes, suggesting a potentially essential function in the life of the parasite, and six others were found to play important roles in sexual development and transmission.[14] Genomic analysis for protein orthologues and genetic manipulation continues to play a major role in Tewari's work, including the 2015 discovery of malarial cyclins and their importance in development of the oocyst form in the mosquito.[15] [16] [17]

Tewari's work has been accomplished in collaboration with many notable malariologists including Anthony Holder, Robert Sinden and Maria Mota.[18]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Expert 'caught malaria seven times'. 10 July 2014. BT News. 26 May 2019.
  2. Web site: The 'yin and yang' of malaria parasite development. EurekAlert!. en. 2019-05-26.
  3. Web site: Malaria research close to understanding parasite lifecycle. Admin. 2014-07-30. Laboratory News. en-US. 2019-05-26.
  4. Web site: Profile: Dr Rita Tewari – Campus News. en-US. 2019-05-26.
  5. Web site: Rita Tewari - The University of Nottingham. www.nottingham.ac.uk. 2019-05-26.
  6. Web site: Reporter - Key life cycle switch in malaria parasite. www.imperial.ac.uk. 2019-05-26.
  7. Brinkmann. Volker. Franke-Fayard. Blandine. Wenig. Gerald. Tewari. Rita. Dechamps. Sandrine. Billker. Oliver. 2004-05-14. Calcium and a Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase Regulate Gamete Formation and Mosquito Transmission in a Malaria Parasite. Cell. en. 117. 4. 503–514. 10.1016/S0092-8674(04)00449-0. 0092-8674. 15137943. 15519738. free.
  8. Web site: Putting malaria on the SHELPH - The University of Nottingham. www.nottingham.ac.uk. 2019-05-26.
  9. Web site: Enzyme discovery may lead to new ways to fight malaria. Crick. en. 2019-05-26.
  10. Tewari. Rita. Holder. Anthony A.. Tobin. Andrew B.. Sinden. Robert E.. Green. Judith L.. Solyakov. Lev. Straschil. Ursula. Patzewitz. Eva-Maria. Brady. Declan. 2012-09-20. A Unique Protein Phosphatase with Kelch-Like Domains (PPKL) in Plasmodium Modulates Ookinete Differentiation, Motility and Invasion. PLOS Pathogens. en. 8. 9. e1002948. 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002948. 1553-7374. 3447748. 23028336 . free .
  11. Web site: Malaria parasite protein identified as potential new target for drug treatment. www.sgul.ac.uk. en-gb. 2019-05-26.
  12. Staines. Henry M.. Tewari. Rita. Krishna. Sanjeev. Soldati-Favre. Dominique. Wheatley. Sally P.. Slavic. Ksenija. McFarlane. Leon R.. Poulin. Benoit. Frénal. Karine. 2013-02-28. The Plasmodium berghei Ca2+/H+ Exchanger, PbCAX, Is Essential for Tolerance to Environmental Ca2+ during Sexual Development. PLOS Pathogens. en. 9. 2. e1003191. 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003191. 23468629. 3585132. 1553-7374 . free .
  13. Web site: The 'yin and yang' of malaria parasite development. Medical Research Council. M. R. C.. 2019-01-14. mrc.ukri.org. en. 2019-05-26.
  14. Tewari. Rita. Pain. Arnab. Wickstead. Bill. Holder. Anthony A.. Tate. Edward W.. Arold. Stefan T.. Radhakrishnan. Anand. Mohamed. Alyaa M. A. H.. Wright. Megan H.. 2014-07-09. Genome-wide Functional Analysis of Plasmodium Protein Phosphatases Reveals Key Regulators of Parasite Development and Differentiation. Cell Host & Microbe. en. 16. 1. 128–140. 10.1016/j.chom.2014.05.020. 1931-3128. 4094981. 25011111.
  15. News: Scientists find key to malaria growth. 2015-11-14. BBC. 2019-05-26. en-GB.
  16. Tewari. Rita. Wickstead. Bill. Pain. Arnab. Holder. Anthony A.. Yamano. Hiroyuki. Wheatley. Sally P.. Guttery. David S.. Brady. Declan. Rchiad. Zineb. 2015-11-13. Plasmodium P-Type Cyclin CYC3 Modulates Endomitotic Growth during Oocyst Development in Mosquitoes. PLOS Pathogens. en. 11. 11. e1005273. 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005273. 1553-7374. 4643991. 26565797 . free .
  17. Web site: Cyclin' out of gear: malaria parasites grinding to a halt - The University of Nottingham. www.nottingham.ac.uk. 2019-05-26.
  18. Web site: Nottingham research plays key role in malaria breakthrough - The University of Nottingham. www.nottingham.ac.uk. 2019-05-26.

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