Kayode Lab · James Madison University
From pathogen detection to patterns of transmission.
Discover our researchOur perspective
Our research brings these perspectives together. We study malaria and other vector-borne infections across laboratory and field settings, asking how they spread, change, and sometimes escape detection. The goal is evidence that helps surveillance reflect what is happening on the ground.
Research
Malaria can go undetected when parasite levels are low or when parasites lack the genes targeted by common rapid tests. We study these diagnostic gaps and compare testing approaches to improve how infections are identified in patients and communities.
We use molecular and sequencing tools to examine malaria parasite diversity, genes linked to drug resistance, and changes that can affect diagnosis. These data help reveal how parasite populations differ across places and change over time.
Fever can have many causes, and symptoms alone rarely reveal which pathogen is responsible. We combine diagnostic testing with patient and exposure data to investigate malaria, mosquito-borne viruses, and other infections. Next generation sequencing and metagenomics help us look more broadly when routine tests leave a fever unexplained.
Where and when people become infected depends on mosquito exposure, human movement, and local environments. We bring together field observations, epidemiology, serology, environmental data, and molecular evidence to understand how these factors shape transmission across communities and seasons.
Lab members
Kayode Lab is led by Dr. Tolulope A. Kayode.
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor of Biology
James Madison University
News
Dr. Tolulope A. Kayode has launched Kayode Lab in JMU’s Department of Biology. The lab brings together epidemiology, diagnostics, and genomics to study vector-borne disease transmission.
Selected publications
Opportunities
JMU students interested in infectious disease, molecular biology, genomics, bioinformatics, or global health are encouraged to get in touch. Tell us about the questions that interest you, the skills you hope to develop, and what you would like to learn through research.
Researchers, clinicians, and public health teams working on vector-borne disease are welcome to discuss collaborations in field studies, diagnostics, and genomic surveillance.