The DOLF Project

The DOLF project recently celebrated 15 years of conducting clinical and translational research to test new treat­ments to support the elimination of oncho and LF! A review of our progress, discoveries, and hopes for the future can be found here: dolfproject.wustl.edu/publication-...

DOLF Welcomes New Postdoc Matthew Kulpa The Molecular Helminthology Lab welcomed Matthew Kulpa as a new postdoc last week. Matthew is a licensed veterinarian from Michigan and a graduating PhD candidate in the School of Veterinary Medici…

The Molecular Helminthology Lab welcomed a new postdoc last month! We're excited for Matthew Kulpa to join the team and are looking forward to seeing his accomplishments! dolfproject.wustl.edu/dolf-welcome...

Farewell & Best Wishes to Our Postdoc, Irina Diekmann Irina with the University of Indonesia field team Irina and a field team member collect a blood sample from a macaque Molecular helminthology lab postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Irina Diekmann, wrappe…

Farewell & best wishes to our DOLF postdoc, Irina Diekmann! We thank Irina for her outstanding work and wish her every success in the next chapter of her career. Read more about her scientific contributions here: dolfproject.wustl.edu/best-wishes-...

DOLF 2025 Annual Update WashU logo DOLF Project # 2025 Year in Review ## DOLF Honors and Celebrates the Distinguished Career and Retirement of Founding Principal Investigator Gary Weil This year, DOLF celebrated the robust a...

Happy 2026 from DOLF! As we reflect on the year 2025, the DOLF team recognizes a period marked by continued scientific rigor, collaboration, and progress toward the elimination of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. See our year in review here: t.e2ma.net/webview/zj3a...

This publication is now in print in The Lancet Infectious Dieases! www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Work with DOLF Prospective Graduate Students DOLF and the Molecular Helminthology Laboratory occasionally accept graduate students in the fields of parasitology, clinical research, and global health. However, Was…

DOLF is hiring! We’re looking for a postdoctoral research associate in NTDs to perform laboratory research on helminth parasites, to assist in clinical trials for river blindness treatment, and to manage large data sets. See the WashU Jobs site for more info! sites.wustl.edu/dolfproject/...

Congratulations to Prof. Taniawati Supali, DOLF Project Collaborator-University of Indonesia, Department of Parasitology in Indonesia, for receiving the Sarwono Award Prof. Supali was honored for her work to support the elimination of lymphatic filariasis in Indonesia by receiving the Sarwono Award. The Sarwono Award in Indonesia is a prestigious, annual “…

Congratulations to DOLF collaborator, Prof. Taniawati Supali, for receiving the Sarwono Award! She was given the prestigious award for her work to support the elimination of lymphatic filariasis in Indonesia. dolfproject.wustl.edu/congratulati...

This summer, DOLF hosted Dr. Peter McCarthy as a Brown School MPH practicum student. Dr. McCarthy analyzed and compared onchocerciasis data from Liberia and Ghana, and assisted in writing a clinical trial protocol for an upcoming study in Liberia.

Last month, DOLF team members attended the @officialaavp.bsky.social Annual Meeting in St. Louis! Dr. Irina Diekmann presented a One Health approach to eliminating LF, and Dr. Lucia Sanchez Di Maggio presented on identifying DNA repeats of Paragonimus kellicotti.

We wish Dr. Gary Weil all the best as he embarks on the next stage of his long and fruitful career: retirement!

Our molecular helminthology investigators, led by Dr. Sarah Greene, developed a valuable new diagnostic tool for onchocerciasis or river blindness. Read about it in the new article in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene! www.ajtmh.org/view/journal...

DOLF Mourns the Loss of Our Clinical Ophthalmologist, Dr. Edward B. Guizie The DOLF team recently lost a beloved colleague on our Liberia study team, clinical ophthalmologist Dr. Edward Guizie (January 5, 1956-May 6, 2025). Dr. Guizie died unexpectedly on May 6 and was la…

DOLF recently lost Dr. Edward B. Guizie, our clinical ophthalmologist in Bong Mines, Liberia. Dr. Guizie was a beloved and dedicated member of the team and he will be greatly missed. dolfproject.wustl.edu/dolf-mourns-...

Earlier this month, DOLF hosted our 15th Anniversary Symposium in St. Louis. We celebrated past achievements, the people who've made them possible, and looked forward towards our goal of eliminating onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. Thank you to all who were able to join us!

Death to Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic Filariasis A website by WashU Sites

Congratulations to @dolfproject.bsky.social on 15 years of research to eliminate river blindness and lymphatic filariasis! #beatNTDs #StampOutOncho #EliminateLF dolfproject.wustl.edu

A faster route to eliminating parasitic infection endemic to Africa | WashU Medicine In a clinical trial, researchers find moxidectin, a new medicine for river blindness, also works for lymphatic filariasis

DOLF is making news! WashU spoke to our DOLF team about their new publication showcasing the effects of moxidectin combination treatments for lymphatic filariasis. Read more here: medicine.washu.edu/news/a-faste...

Last October, members of the DOLF #onchocerciasis clinical trial team met with the newly appointed Minister of Health of the Republic of Liberia, Honorable Dr. Louise Kpoto, to introduce our study in Bong Mines.

This past October, DOLF team members met with the new Director General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, and his leadership team. Together, we are solidifying our partnership to end #onchocerciasis in Liberia.

Field Note: Portable qPCR thermocycler enables fast track xenomonitoring of mosquito vectors for DNA of the filarial parasite Brugia malayi in Indonesia In December 2024, Dr. Irina Diekmann, a postdoctoral researcher at Washington University School of Medicine (WashU Med) joined Professor Taniawati Supali and her team at Universitas Indonesia (UI) …

In December, DOLF postdoc Dr. Irina Diekmann travelled with a portable qPCR machine to Jakarta, Indonesia to help standardize assays and facilitate on-site testing for filarial DNA in mosquitoes. Read more about the project here: dolfproject.wustl.edu/field-note-p...

DOLF’s 2024 Year in Review We are pleased to share a summary of our accomplishments of the past year.

Happy New Year from DOLF! From field work to the lab, check out our annual newsletter here: dolfproject.wustl.edu/dolfs-2024-y...