Aims & Scope
Journal of Parasite Research publishes original investigations on parasite biology, ecology, evolution, and host-pathogen interactions across all taxonomic groups, excluding clinical management and therapeutic protocols.
Parasite Life Cycles
Host-Pathogen Mechanisms
Parasitic Ecology
Molecular Parasitology
Vector Biology
Core Research Domains
Molecular & Cellular Parasitology Tier 1
- Parasite genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics
- Biochemical pathways and metabolic adaptations
- Gene expression regulation and epigenetics
- Cellular organelle function (mitochondria, apicoplasts)
- Molecular mechanisms of drug resistance
- Genetic diversity and population structure
Typical Fit:
Comparative genomic analysis of Plasmodium species revealing novel metabolic pathways; proteomic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii invasion machinery.
Host-Parasite Interactions Tier 1
- Mechanisms of parasite invasion and establishment
- Host immune response to parasitic infection
- Parasite immune evasion strategies
- Molecular dialogue at host-parasite interface
- Parasite-induced host cell modifications
- Co-evolutionary dynamics between hosts and parasites
Typical Fit:
Characterization of Leishmania surface proteins mediating macrophage entry; analysis of Schistosoma-induced granuloma formation mechanisms.
Parasite Ecology & Evolution Tier 1
- Life cycle biology and developmental stages
- Transmission dynamics and epidemiological patterns
- Parasite population genetics and phylogenetics
- Environmental factors influencing parasite distribution
- Host specificity and host range evolution
- Parasite community ecology and polyparasitism
Typical Fit:
Phylogeographic analysis of Trypanosoma cruzi lineages; ecological modeling of soil-transmitted helminth transmission in endemic regions.
Vector Biology & Transmission Tier 1
- Vector-parasite interactions and competence
- Parasite development within arthropod vectors
- Vector behavior and host-seeking mechanisms
- Molecular basis of vector susceptibility
- Environmental influences on vector populations
- Novel vector species identification and characterization
Typical Fit:
Molecular characterization of Anopheles mosquito susceptibility to Plasmodium infection; identification of salivary proteins facilitating Leishmania transmission.
Secondary Focus Areas
Diagnostic Methods & Detection
- Novel molecular diagnostic approaches (PCR, LAMP, CRISPR-based)
- Serological assay development and validation
- Microscopy innovations and imaging techniques
- Point-of-care diagnostic tool development
- Biomarker discovery for parasite detection
Veterinary & Zoonotic Parasitology
- Parasites of livestock and companion animals
- Wildlife parasite ecology and surveillance
- Zoonotic transmission pathways and risk factors
- One Health approaches to parasite control
- Economic impact of veterinary parasites
Antiparasitic Compound Discovery
- Natural product screening for antiparasitic activity
- Mechanism of action studies (non-clinical)
- Structure-activity relationship analysis
- Drug target identification and validation
- Resistance mechanism characterization
Computational & Systems Parasitology
- Bioinformatics tools for parasite genome analysis
- Mathematical modeling of transmission dynamics
- Machine learning applications in parasite research
- Systems biology approaches to parasite metabolism
- Phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses
Emerging & Selective Areas
Article Types & Priorities
Priority 1: Fast-Track Review
Original Research Articles
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Methods & Protocols
Genomic Data Reports
Priority 2: Standard Review
Short Communications
Data Notes
Technical Notes
Perspectives & Commentaries
Review Articles
Rarely Considered
Opinion Pieces
Letters to Editor
Conference Reports
Editorial Standards & Requirements
Reporting Guidelines
- ARRIVE guidelines for animal research
- STROBE for observational epidemiology studies
- PRISMA for systematic reviews
- STARD for diagnostic accuracy studies
- MIQE for qPCR experiments
Data & Reproducibility
- Raw data deposition in public repositories required
- Genomic sequences submitted to GenBank/ENA
- Proteomics data to PRIDE/ProteomeXchange
- Code availability for computational analyses
- Detailed methods enabling replication
Ethics & Compliance
- Institutional ethics approval for animal studies
- Informed consent for human sample collection
- Adherence to national and international regulations
- Biosafety protocols for pathogen handling
- Conflict of interest disclosure
Preprint & Prior Publication
- Preprint deposition encouraged (bioRxiv, medRxiv)
- Conference abstracts do not preclude submission
- Thesis chapters acceptable if not previously published
- Duplicate submission prohibited
- Preprint DOI must be declared at submission
