Professor Michael Miles BSc MSc Phd DSc FRCPath
- Room 329b
- LSHTM
- Keppel Street
- London
- WC1E 7HT
- T: + 44 20 7927 2340
- F: + 44 20 7636 8739
The research interests of Professor Michael Miles concern: the genetic diversity and molecular genetics of protozoan parasites, particularly Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania species; the epidemiology and control of South American Trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease) and of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis; the molecular taxonomy and phylogenetics of triatomine bugs (Hemiptera:Reduviidae); the ecology of South American mammals, and the control of African trypanosomiasis.
Research collaborations in several South American countries, including Paraguay, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and in the Sudan and Europe. Research projects on Chagas disease and leishmaniasis. Coordinator of EC FP5, FP6 LeishEpiNetSA (12 partners) and FP7 ChagasEpiNet (15 partners).
Affiliation
Teaching
Founder and Course Director, MSc in the Control of Infectious Diseases (CID).
Founder MSc course in the Molecular Biology of Infectious Diseases.
Module Organiser:
11-week core term 1 teaching for CID, and module 3125 Introduction to Infectious Disease Agents and their Control.
Tutor, PhD supervisor (approx. 30 previous PhD students successfully completed), MSc project supervisor.
Teaching: parasitology, molecular biology, molecular epidemiology on several internal MScs, short courses and external courses.
Research
Research is primarily on molecular epidemiology and taxonomy of Leishmania and Trypanosoma cruzi, and improvement of control strategies, including both fundamental experimental and field research.
Examples of research achievements include:
Described the biochemical and genetic heterogeneity of Trypanosoma cruzi (Nature publication).
Pioneered the concept of separate, overlapping and enzootic transmission cycles as applied to the epidemiology of Chagas disease.
Showed that Rhodnius prolixus in Venezuela reinvades houses (with Sinead Fitzpatrick)
Circumstantially linked distinct genotypes of T. cruzi to the diverse chronic manifestations of Chagas disease (Brazil and Venezuela; Lancet publication).
Originated the hypothesis that disinct T. cruzi lineages have evolutionary associations with arboreal and terrestrial transmission cycles.
Obtained the first experimental proof of genetic exchange in T. cruzi (Nature publication).
Demonstrated that T. rangeli is widely distributed in Brazil, and described its hosts and vectors.
Defined biochemical characters distinguishing several New World Leishmania species.
Comparative molecular genetics evidence of the synonymy of Leishmania chagasi and Leishmania infantum [with Isabel Mauricio]
Described in vitro systems to induce metacyclogenesis in L. donovani and L. braziliensis, showing lentil lectin to be a marker of complement resistance and infectivity [with Keith Howard].
Described the ecotopes of several Amazonian triatomine species and explained the absence of endemic (domestic) Chagas disease in the Amazon Basin.
Discovered the new triatomine species Rhodnius paraensis.
Developed spool-and-line mammal tracking for locating triatomines in animal nests and refuges and for studies of mammal ecology.
Research areas
- Diagnostics
- Leishmaniasis
- Molecular epidemiology
- Parasites
- Trypanosomes
Disciplines
- Genetics
- Molecular biology
- Parasitology
Other interests
- Genetic Exchange
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Selected publications
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Genome-scale multilocus microsatellite typing of Trypanosoma cruzi discrete typing unit I reveals phylogeographic structure and specific genotypes linked to human infection.
Llewellyn, M.S.; Miles, M.A.; Carrasco, H.J.; Lewis, M.D.; Yeo, M.; Vargas, J.; Torrico, F.; Diosque, P.; Valente, V.; Valente, S.A.; Gaunt, M.W.;
PLoS Pathog, 2009; 5(5):e1000410
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The molecular epidemiology and phylogeography of Trypanosoma cruzi and parallel research on Leishmania: looking back and to the future.
Miles, M.A.; Llewellyn, M.S.; Lewis, M.D.; Yeo, M.; Baleela, R.; Fitzpatrick, S.; Gaunt, M.W.; Mauricio, I.L.;
Parasitology, 2009; 136(12):1509-28
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Molecular Genetics Reveal That Silvatic Rhodnius prolixus Do Colonise Rural Houses.
Fitzpatrick, S.; Feliciangeli, M.D.; Sanchez-Martin, M.J.; Monteiro, F.A.; Miles, M.A.;
PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2008; 2(4):e210
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Evolutionary and geographical history of the Leishmania donovani complex with a revision of current taxonomy.
Lukes, J.; Mauricio, I.L.; Schönian, G.; Dujardin, J.C.; Soteriadou, K.; Dedet, J.P.; Kuhls, K.; Tintaya, K.W.; Jirků, M; Chocholová, E.; Haralambous, C.; Pratlong, F.; Oborník, M.; Horák, A.; Ayala, F.J.; Miles, M.A.;
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2007; 104(22):9375-80
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Towards multilocus sequence typing of the Leishmania donovani complex: Resolving genotypes and haplotypes for five polymorphic metabolic enzymes (ASAT, GPI, NH1, NH2, PGD).
Mauricio, I.L.; Yeo, M.; Baghaei, M.; Doto, D.; Pratlong, F.; Zemanova, E.; Dedet, J.P.; Lukes, J.; Miles, M.A.;
Int J Parasitol, 2006; 36(7):757-69
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Origins of Chagas disease: Didelphis species are natural hosts of Trypanosoma cruzi I and armadillos hosts of Trypanosoma cruzi II, including hybrids.
Yeo, M.; Acosta, N.; Llewellyn, M.; Sanchez, H.; Adamson, S.; Miles, G.A.; Lopez, E.; Gonzalez, N.; Patterson, J.S.; Gaunt, M.W.; Arias, A.R.; Miles, M.A.;
Int J Parasitol, 2005; 35(2):225-33
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Mechanism of genetic exchange in American trypanosomes
Gaunt, M. W.; Yeo, M.; Frame, I. A.; Stothard, J. R.; Carrasco, H. J.; Taylor, M. C.; Mena, S. S.; Veazey, P.; Miles, G. A.; Acosta, N.; de Arias, A. R.; Miles, M. A.
Nature, 2003; 421(6926):936-9
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American trypanosomiasis (Chagas' disease) and the role of molecular epidemiology in guiding control strategies
Miles, M. A.; Feliciangeli, M. D.; de Arias, A. R.
British Medical Journal, 2003; 326(7404):1444-8
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