Mireille Harimalala

Madagascar

Mireille Harimalala’s research activities have focused on the genetics of plague disease vector flea populations and the study of the country’s flea phylogeny. After graduating in Molecular Biology at the University of Reunion (France) in 2012, she was recruited as a researcher at the Pasteur Institute of Madagascar (IPM).

As well, she has completed two years of postdoctoral studies at the Medical Entomology Unit of IPM and currently deepening her research on the same themes, in order to elucidate the phylogeography and dispersal mechanisms of these vector flea populations in relation to the persistence of plague in Madagascar.

Mireille leads a team that is working on fleas and its associated diseases, an opportunity that earned her a scholarship from the Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) to conduct her research work.