Findings

Read about Dyann Wirth, Ph.D., in the September 2005 issue.

Geneticist
Harvard School of Public Health
Boston, MA

Moved by a compelling blend of scientific curiosity and social conscience, Dyann Wirth has dedicated nearly all her professional life to investigating the basic workings of Plasmodia, the parasites that cause malaria.

She teams up with scientists in countries faced with the disease to use genetics to track and fight new cases. Asking basic questions, she says, will help her and others develop an early warning system to detect when malaria drugs aren't working and allow time to try different approaches.

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