Villanova Biology Researchers Awarded More than $2.3 Million from NIH to Study How Parasites Navigate Insect Hosts and Prepare for Transmission

VILLANOVA, Pa. (October 20, 2026) - Megan Povelones, PhD, and Michael Povelones, PhD, both associate professors of Biology in Villanova University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, have been awarded a $2,319,953 National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 research grant to investigate how certain parasitic organisms-including pathogenic agents for human diseases-sense their environment, attach to insect tissue and transition between developmental stages critical for disease transmission.

The five-year project focuses on kinetoplastids, a group of single-celled parasites that includes those which cause Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and African sleeping sickness. Although these diseases collectively affect millions of individuals worldwide, certain aspects of how the parasites survive within insect hosts and prepare for transmission remain poorly understood.

"All of these parasites depend on insects to complete their life cycle," said Dr. Megan Povelones. "To stop transmission, we first need to understand the biological mechanisms that allow parasites to survive, develop and move between hosts."

Rather than studying a disease-causing parasite directly, the researchers have developed a model system using Crithidia fasciculata, a parasite that naturally infects mosquitoes but shares many biological characteristics with its human disease-causing relatives. Utilizing a new mosquito insectary on campus that supports studies of insect-host interactions and vector-borne disease biology, the researchers will be able to observe the parasite's behavior in real time and manipulate conditions as they study these biological processes.

A central focus of the project is understanding how parasites know when to switch from a free-swimming state to an attached state within the insect host. The attachment process is thought to be essential for successful colonization of insect hosts and the completion of the parasite life cycle.

Preliminary research from the professors suggests that a signaling molecule known as cyclic AMP (cAMP) plays a critical role in regulating this developmental transition. The newly funded work will investigate how signaling pathways within the parasite's flagellum-a whiplike structure normally used for movement-control attachment, differentiation and release in response to environmental cues.

"This project is really about understanding how a single event, attachment, can completely reprogram a cell," said Dr. Michael Povelones. "The parasite senses something about its environment, attaches and then fundamentally changes its biology to survive in a new setting. We're working to identify the signals and pathways that drive that transformation."

The researchers hope their findings will contribute to broader efforts to combat neglected vector-borne diseases by identifying potential points where parasite transmission could be interrupted before infection occurs.

"Many of these diseases disproportionately affect some of the world's most vulnerable populations," said Dr. Megan Povelones. "By understanding these fundamental biological processes, we may ultimately help create opportunities for new intervention strategies that prevent infection before it starts."

With several students already involved in the research, the grant will create additional opportunities for student involvement, including funding for master's students and summer undergraduate researchers. It will also fund a postdoctoral research fellow and technician.

Acknowledgement of Federal Support: Research reported in this release was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01AI192676. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The total project is 100% federally funded in the amount of $2,319,953.

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