Skip to content
Le Roch Lab
Ring-stage Plasmodium parasite inside a red blood cell, surrounded by erythrocytes — 3D rendering

Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology · UC Riverside

Decoding the malaria parasite genome

Join the labExplore our research

Combining cutting-edge technologies with advanced systems biology approaches to uncover the molecular pathways that drive parasite life cycles within their hosts.

The lab

The parasites we study

We aim to identify factors regulating the life cycles of parasites such as Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria; Toxoplasma gondii, an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised individuals; and Babesia, which causes hemolytic disease in humans and cattle. These organisms remain among the world’s deadliest infectious agents.

We use cutting-edge genomics, molecular biology, and systems biology to define pathways controlling parasite development, replication, transmission, and immune evasion. We are not only identifying novel therapeutic targets we are also discovering new natural products to disrupt the parasite’s infectious cycles.

Research areas

The questions driving the lab

Where our work concentrates, and what each programme is trying to answer.

Hi-C contact map above aligned chromatin coverage, histone occupancy and gene-annotation tracks

Chromatin & Gene Regulation

Deciphering the role of epigenetics and chromatin structure in gene regulation and virulence.

Learn more
RNA-binding proteins bound to polyadenylated transcripts around a cell nucleus, illustrating post-transcriptional regulation

RNA Binding Proteins & RNA Biology

Deciphering the role of lncRNAs and RNA-binding proteins in gene regulation.

Learn more
Circular schematic of a systems-biology drug discovery pipeline, from compound screening and dose-response curves through culture, omics and animal models

Drug Discovery & Natural Products

Drug screening and systems biology pipelines that identify novel lead compounds and their modes of action.

Learn more
Viruses, bacteria and parasites outside a host cell whose nucleus shows acetylation and methylation marks on chromatin

Host-Pathogen Interactions

How intracellular parasites manipulate host chromatin to evade immune responses and persist in the host.

Learn more
Triangular correlation matrix of thirty-six viruses with three highlighted co-occurrence regions

Metagenomics of Vector-Borne Diseases

Using metagenomics and computational pipelines to detect arbovirus activity in field-collected mosquitoes and ticks.

Learn more
Machine learning schematic taking DNA sequence, chromatin accessibility, histone modifications, transcriptomics, transcription factors and 3D genome architecture as inputs, and predicting gene expression, regulatory elements, transcription-factor binding and target genes

Computational Biology

Large genomic data sets and machine learning models that explain gene regulation in malaria parasites.

Learn more
Publications
0+Publications
Years running
0Years running
Trainees placed
0+Trainees placed
Active projects
0Active projects

Recent highlights

Featured Publications

All publications

Looking for a PhD or postdoc position?

We're recruiting curious scientists who want to work at the intersection of genomics and parasitology.

Open positionsGet in touch

Funded by

National Institutes of HealthCDCNIAID

Collaborating with

Yale UniversityUC IrvineUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of GeorgiaColumbia UniversityJohns Hopkins University
Yale UniversityUC IrvineUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of GeorgiaColumbia UniversityJohns Hopkins University
Yale UniversityUC IrvineUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of GeorgiaColumbia UniversityJohns Hopkins University
Yale UniversityUC IrvineUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of GeorgiaColumbia UniversityJohns Hopkins University