Dr Matthew Rogers

Associate Professor
Matthew.Rogers [at] lshtm.ac.uk

Matthew Rogers is an Associate Professor of Vector Biology in the Department of Disease Control at LSHTM.

Matthew leads a lab and research group focussing on understanding the vector-parasite –host interactions during the Leishmania life cycle. Specifically, the Group researches the cellular and molecular mechanisms of Leishmania infection of their sand fly vectors, the behavioural manipulation of sand flies, the immunological consequences of Leishmania transmission by sand fly bite and the role of PSG. They maintain experimental sand fly colonies of Lutzomyia longipalpis in order to work on sand fly biology and natural models of visceral leishmaniasis (VL, Leishmania infantum) and Leishmania mexicana infection as an experimental model of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Currently Matthew's lab is conducting research in:

  1. Dissecting the immune mechanisms which allow PSG to exacerbate leishmaniasis following an infected sand fly bite;
  2. Investigating the role of the PSG in establishing Leishmania infections in their sand fly vectors and the composition of the infectious dose;
  3. Leishmania metacyclogenesis in sand flies;
  4. Characterising the sand fly gut microbiota in colony and wild caught sand fly populations and their influence on the Leishmania-sand fly interaction;
  5. Validating sand fly salivary antigens as markers of exposure and transmission in the field.

Richard leads a multidisciplinary research programme encompassing parasitology, entomology, immunology, and epidemiology and collaborate with field researchers in:

  • India and Nepal (in collaboration with the Binaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India; the Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India; B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal and the Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium) studying the relationship between the immune response to sand fly salivary proteins, sand fly exposure and risk of VL.
  • Tajikistan (in collaboration the Tajik Republican Tropical Diseases Centre and Natural History Museum, London) studying vector ecology and transmission biology of VL.