Shirley Luckhart

Shirley Luckhart is an American molecular biologist. Her research focuses on malaria and in 2010, she co-developed a genetically-modified mosquito that was immune from the malaria virus.
Early life and education
Luckhart earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida in 1986 before enrolling at Auburn University for her Master's degree in 1990. Following her Master's degree, Luckhart completed her PhD at Rutgers University in 1995.
Career
Upon graduating from Rutgers, Luckhart joined the faculty of biochemistry at Virginia Tech. During her tenure at the institution, she studied malaria parasites and how they are transmitted by mosquitoes to humans and animals. She left Virginia Tech in 2004 to accept a joint faculty position with the UC Davis School of Medicine’s department of medical microbiology and immunology and the department of entomology and nematologyat. In 2010, Luckhart and colleagues were recognized for producing a genetically-modified mosquito that was immune from the malaria virus. She had received an NIH research fellowship aimed to promote diversity in health-related research to support the research. Following her discovery, Luckhart received $100,000 from Grand Challenges Explorations to "advance her work in developing nutritional supplements to reverse the malaria-induced intestinal damage that contributes to the development of non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) bacteremia in malaria-infected children."
As a Full professor, Luckhart and Janet Foley were co-appointed interim co-directors of the Center for Vectorborne Diseases as replacements for William Reisen in 2014. Later that year, she was elected a Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene for her "sustained professional excellence in her field." While serving in her role as interim co-director, Luckhart was the recipient of Pacific Branch, Entomological Society of America's 2017 Medical, Urban and Veterinary Entomology Award. She was lauded for her “highly regarded expertise on molecular cell biology and biochemistry of malaria parasite transmission." In her first year at the University of Idaho, Luckhart co-established the Center for Health in the Human Ecosystem, a multidisciplinary and collaborative entity in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, with her husband, Edwin Lewis.

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