TERRIE E. TAYLOR

MSU Foundation Professor
University Distinguished Professor of Tropical Medicine
Department of Osteopathic Medical Specialties
College of Osteopathic Medicine

Dr. Terrie E. Taylor is an internationally recognized scientist and physician who has devoted her career to the fight against malaria, which she calls the “Voldemort of parasites.” For nearly 40 years, she has worked tirelessly to save the lives of children in Africa afflicted with the deadliest form of the disease. She spends six months of the year in Malawi conducting malaria research while also treating patients, the vast majority of whom are children.

Since joining the faculty of the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, Taylor has collaborated with international communities in her scholarly, clinical, and outreach efforts. She has co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and has received nearly $35 million in grants, many of which included researchers trained by her in the communities where she is engaged.

A passionate and dedicated educator, Taylor has hosted 24 students per year for six-week rotations at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, teaching them in groups of eight at a time. The Blantyre Malaria Project, established by Taylor and colleagues, conducts research and patient care in the field of pediatric cerebral malaria.

Taylor began her career by supervising an NIH-funded MSU grant in the Sudan. Upon her return, she completed an internal medicine residency, followed by a fellowship in tropical medicine at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. The fellowship placed her in Malawi researching malaria, where she fell in love with the people and the country and found her calling.