Professor Ralph D. Robinson

Position:    Professor of Parasitology

Nationality:  UK citizen, Jamaican citizen (pending)

Age:  50 years

Email:     ralph.robinson@uwimona.edu.jm

Education:

• B.Sc. (Zoology) 1980: The Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Parasitology major).
• Ph.D. (Helminthology) 1984 : The Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland.  Supervisor: Professor David W. Halton D.Sc. (Leeds), FIBiol, MIRA.
• Post Doctoral Research 1983-1985: The University, Keele, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.  Advisor:  Professor Chris. Arme, D.Sc. (Leeds), FIBiol

Courses Lecturing

• BL10L Animal Diversity (Introductory Course)
• BL20D Diving Technology for Aquatic Sciences (4 credits)
• Z30G General Parasitology (4 credits)
• Z30H Applied Parasitology (4 credits)
• Z30M Immunology (4 credits)
• BL39C Undergraduate Research project (4 credits)
• BL60C Research Methods (Bioethics, Project Design, Logical Framework Approach)

Research Statement

The relationships between humans, wild animals, and the environment as they relate to health and parasitic disease in Jamaica and the Caribbean Region.

Research Projects

• Epidemiology of human Strongyloides stercoralis (Nematoda) infections in Jamaica
• Activity in vitro of crude and purified extracts of Jamaican medicinal plants against infective larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis
• Immunoepidemiological interactions between Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type-I (HTLV-I) and Strongyloides stercoralis in Jamaica
• Studies of the host-parasite relationship of seawater-cultured tilapia and Neobenedenia melleni (Monogenea) in Jamaica
• Immunoepidemiological investigations of human Toxocara canis (dog roundworm) infections in Jamaica
• Seroepidemiological studies of Helicobacter pylori (Eubacteria) infections in Jamaica
• Immunoepidemiological studies of human Toxoplasma gondii (Coccidia) infections in Jamaica
• Ecoparasitological studies of Thiara granifera in Jamaica
• Transmission studies of Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm) in dogs in Jamaica
• Molecular characterisation of canine Ancylostoma spp.
• Human health significance of (a) intestinal helminths of small Indian mongoose (Herpestes sp.) and (b) helminths of wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Jamaica
• Angiostrongylus cantonensis  - an emerging zoonosis in Jamaica

Graduate Students

(a) Ph.D. Theses Awarded

• Michael S. Wong 1988: (with Dr D. Bundy, Imperial College, London)
• John F. Lindo 1992: Studies of the epidemiology of human Strongyloides stercoralis infection at endemic foci in Jamaica
• Wayne M. Forbes 1998: Laboratory studies of the activity of extracts of selected Jamaican plants against infective larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis (Nematoda)

(b) M.Phil. Theses Awarded

• Camille Whyte1992: Protein losing enteropathy and trichuriasis (with Dr E.S. Cooper, Tropical Metabolism Research Unit, UWI)
• Alicia E. Lyn-Sue 1998: Studies of the epidemiology of intestinal parasitic infections in a Jamaican community
• Keisha Singh 2002: Studies of the epidemiology of Dirofilaria immitis infections in Jamaica.
• Hugh E. Lounges (M.Phil. submitted). Immuno-Epidemiological Studies of Human Toxocara canis Infections in Jamaica
• Nicola O'Connor 2005. Interactions between a marine monogenean, Neobenedenia melleni, and marine cage-cultured red hybrid tilapia Oreochromis spp.
• Stacey McKoy 2005. Ecoparasitological studies of Thiara granifera at Mona Reservoir, Kingston, Jamaica

(c) Theses in Preparation

• Cecelia Waugh (PhD).  Zoonotic status of Angiostronyglus cantonensis in Jamaica
• Suzette Fletcher (MPhil).  Molecular characterisation of hookworm infections in dogs in Jamaica
• Chinedu Okoro (MPhil).  Population distribution of enteric helminths in wild pigs, Jamaica.
• Cheridah Todd (MPhil).  Molecular characterisation of Angiostrongylus cantonensis; diagnostic potential

Patents

“Medicaments for the treatment of Strongyloides stercoralis infections”

• Inventors: Wayne Forbes, Ralph Robinson & Paul Reese
• Assignees: The University of the West Indies, Mona & The Scientific Research Council of Jamaica

Jamaica Patent #3325 awarded September 23, 2002 2002                                                        United States Patent pending (application filed April 29, 2003)

Membership of Professional Societies

• Member, British Society for Parasitology, UK
• Fellow, Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, UK
• Caribbean Academy of Sciences (Jamaica Chapter)
• Executive Secretary, The Bioethics Society of the English-Speaking Caribbean

Publications

• Robinson, R.D. (1981).  Parasitic helminths of Sorex minutus from Co. Down.  Irish Naturalist’s Journal 20: 256.

• Robinson, R.D. & Halton, D.W. (1982).  Fine structural observations of spermatogenesis in Corrigia vitta (Trematoda: Dicrocoeliidae).  Parasitology Research 68: 53-72.

• Robinson, R.D. & Halton, D.W. (1983).  Functional morphology of the tegumental mitochrondria of Corrigia vitta (Trematoda: Dicrocoeliidae).  Parasitology Research 69: 313-319.

• Robinson, R.D. & Halton, D.W. (1984).  A stereological analysis of the tegumentalmitochondria of Corrigia vitta (Trematoda: Dicrocoeliidae).  Parasitology 88: 439-447.

• Robinson R.D. & Arme, C.A. (1985).  Echinococcus granulosus: failure of the eosin-exclusion technique to demonstrate death of protoscoleces.  Annals of TropicalMedicine and Parasitology 79: 117.

• Robinson R.D. & Arme, C.A. (1986).  Echinococcus granulosus:  effect of protoscoleces on murine macrophage activation.  Helminthologia 23: 201-209.

• Robinson, R.D., Andreassen, J. & Arme, C.A. (1987).  Hymenolepis diminuta: ultrastructural observations of complement-mediated lysis and destrobilisation of 4-day-old worms in vitro.  International Journal for Parasitology 17: 1125-1132.

• Robinson, R.D., Thompson, D.L. & Lindo, J.F. (1989).  A survey of intestinal helminths of well-cared-for dogs in Jamaica, and their public health significance.  Journal of Helminthology 63: 32-38.

• Robinson RD, Khalil LF, Hall RN & Steele RD (1989).  Infection of red hybrid tilapia with a monogenean in coastal waters off southern Jamaica.  The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute 42: 441-447 (refereed paper).

• Robinson, R.D., Lindo, J.F., Williams, L.A.D., Mansingh, A. & Terry, S.I. (1990).Inactivation of filariform larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis in vitro by six Jamaican plant extracts and three commercial anthelmintics.  West Indian Medical Journal 39: 213-217.

• Robinson, R.D., Murphy, E.L., Wilks, R.J., Neva, F.A., Terry, S  Hanchard, B., Figueroa, J.P. & Blattner, W.A. (1991).  Gastrointestinal parasitic infection in healthy Jamaican carriers of HTLV-I.  Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 94: 411-415.

• Walker, S.P., Robinson, R.D., Powell, C. & Grantham-McGregor, S. (1992).  Stunting, intestinal parasitism and the home environment.  Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 86: 331-332.

• Conway, D.J., Atkins, N.S., Lillywhite, J.E., Bailey, J.W., Robinson, R.D., Bundy, D.A.P. & Bianco, A.E. (1993).  Immunodiagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis infection: a method for increasing the specificity of the indirect ELISA.  Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 87: 173-176.

• Conway, D.J., Bailey, J.W., Lindo, J.F., Robinson, R.D., Bundy, D.A.P. & Bianco, A.E. (1993). Serum IgG reactivity with 41kDa, 31kDa and 28 kDa larval proteins of Strongyloides stercoralis in individuals with strongyloidiasis.  Journal of Infectious Diseases 168: 784-787.

• Robinson, R.D., Lindo, J.F., Neva, F.A., Gam, A.A., Terry, S.I., Vogel, P. & Cooper, E.S. 1994. Immuno-epidemiologic studies of Stongyloides stercoralis and Human T-lymphotropic Virus Type I (HTLV-I) infections in Jamaica. Journal of Infectious Diseases 169: 692-696.

• Conway, D.J, Lindo, J.F., Robinson, R.D., Bundy, D.A.P & Bianco, A.E. 1994. Strongyloides stercoralis: characterisation of immuno-diagnostic larval antigens. Experimental Parasitology 79: 99-105.
• Lindo, J.F., Conway, D.J., Atkins, N.S., Bianco, A.E., Robinson, R.D. & Bundy D.A.P. 1994. Prospective evaluation of ELISA and Immunoblot for the diagnosis of endemic Strongyloides stercoralis infection. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 51: 175-179.
• Hammond, M.P. & Robinson, R.D. 1994. Chromosome complement, gametogenesis and development in Strongyloides stercoralis. Journal of Parasitology 80(5): 689-695.
• Hammond, M.P. & Robinson, R.D. 1994. Endoreplication in the ovary, testis and intestine of Strongyloides stercoralis. Journal of Parasitology 80(6): 905-910.
• Lindo, J.F., Robinson, R.D., Terry, S.I., Vogel, P., Gam, A.A. & Neva, F.A. & Bundy D.A.P. 1995. Age-prevalence profile and household clustering of cases of Strongyloides stercoralis infection in Jamaica. Parasitology 110: 97-102.
• Robinson, R.D. 1995. Parasitic infections in HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean Region. Bulletin of the Pan American Health Organisation 29(2): 129-137.
• Conway, D.J., Lindo, J.F, Robinson, R.D. & Bundy, D.A.P. 1996. Towards effective control of strongyloidiasis. Parasitology Today 11: 420-424.
• Lindo, J.F., Atkins, N.S., Lee, M.G., Robinson, R.D. & Bundy, D.A.P. 1996. Parasite- specific serum IgG following successful treatment of endemic strongyloidiasis using ivermectin. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 90: 701-702.
• Lindo, J.F., Atkins, N.S., Lee, M.G., Robinson, R.D. & Bundy, D.A.P. 1997. Long-term serum antibody isotype responses to Strongyloides stercoralis filariform antigens in eight patients treated with ivermectin. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 55: 474-476.
• Atkins, N.S., Lindo, J.F., Lee, M.G., Conway D., Bailey, JW, Robinson, R.D., & Bundy, D.A.P. 1997. Humoral responses in human strongyloidiasis: correlations with infection chronicity. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 91: 609-613.
• Atkins, N.S., Lindo, J.F., Hanchard, B., Lee, M.S. Robinson, R.D. & Bundy D.A.P. 1998. Strongyloidiasis and human T-cell leukemia Virus Type-I; immuno-modulatory effects of concurrent HTLV-I Infection. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and Human Retrovirology 18: 188-190.
• Lindo, J.F, Lyn-Sue, A.E, Palmer, C.J., Lee, M.G., Vogel P. & Robinson, R.D. 1999. Seroepidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection in a Jamaican community. Tropical Medicine and International Health 4 (12): 862-866.
• Lindo, JF, Waugh CA, Hall J, Cunningham-Myrie C, Ashley D, Eberhard M, Sullivan JJ, Bishop HS, Robinson DG, Holtz, T & Robinson RD. 2002. Enzootic Angiostrongylus cantonensis in rats and snails, following an outbreak of human eosinophilic meningitis, Jamaica. Emerging Infectious Diseases 8(3): 324-326.
• Levette PN, Douglas KA, Waugh CA, Robinson RD & Lindo JF 2004. Failure to detect Angiostrongylus in Barbados.  West Indian Medical Journal 53:58
• Waugh C, Shafir S, Wise M, Robinson RD, Eberhard M & Lindo JF.  2005. Transmission of Angiostrongylus cantonensis to humans in Jamaica.  Emerging Infectious Diseases 11(12): 1977-1978.
• Waugh CA, Lindo JF, Foronda P, Ángeles-Santana M, Lorenzo-Morales J & Robinson RD. 2006.  Population distribution, and zoonotic potential of enteric helminths of wild rats, Rattus rattus and R. norvegicus, from Jamaica.  Journal of Parasitology 92(5): 1014-1018.
• Robinson RD, O’Connor N & Steele, RD. 2007.  Interactions between cage-cultured, red hybrid tilapia and a marine monogenean, Neobenedenia melleni, in Jamaica.  North American Journal of Aquaculture (in press).

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