By Wendy Sarubbi | March 29, 2024 4:48 pm

Dr. Debopam Chakrabarti, who leads the College of Medicine’s Division of Molecular Microbiology and is a renowned infectious disease expert, has been named a UCF 2024 Pegasus Professor, the university’s most prestigious faculty honor.

Dr. Debopam Chakrabarti focuses his research on curing malaria, the world’s deadliest mosquito-borne illness.

The Pegasus Professorship recognizes faculty who have a global influence in their fields, advance student success and make valuable research discoveries that elevate UCF’s reputation for excellence and impact. UCF has three honorees this year, who will receive $5,000 in earnings.

Dr. Chakrabarti’s research focus is malaria, the world’s deadliest mosquito-borne illness that in 2022 inflicted nearly 250 million people and killed 600,000 around the globe. Malaria is getting tougher to treat as it becomes resistant to current therapies. Dr. Chakrabarti is investigating using cancer drugs, and identifying natural product-derived antimalarials from fungi, bacteria, coral and sponges to find new ways to treat malaria.

“My anti-malaria drug discovery program started at UCF,” said Dt. Chakrabarti, who joined UCF in 1995. “It’s a UCF-grown program that is finding the cure for malaria.”

To learn more about Dr. Chakrabarti and his work, and to read about the other 2024 Pegasus Professors, visit https://www.ucf.edu/news/meet-ucfs-2024-pegasus-professors-who-make-a-global-impact/

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