Friday October 31st 2025
AAQAA co-hosted a session at the UNC Water and Health Conference.
“This session brought together researchers working on various aspects of Naegleria fowleri, including its ecology, transmission, measurement in water, diagnostics, and treatment. This session explored the latest advancements and future prospects in research. Experts discussed current epidemiological trends, diagnostic challenges, and treatment strategies, highlighting recent advances. The session also addressed emerging research directions, including novel therapeutic approaches, improved detection methods, and strategies for mitigating risks in recreational and drinking water systems. Designed for researchers, public health professionals, and water management experts, the session fostered interdisciplinary dialogue to advance prevention and control measures for this rare but deadly infection. Many joined to explore how cutting-edge science and collaborative efforts can shape the future of Naegleria fowleri research and public health response.”
Current and Future directions in Naegleria Fowleri Research
Dr. Dennis Kyle - University of Georgia
:Harnessing Naegleria fowleri specific antibodies”
Jim Morris- Clemson
“Exploiting Naegleria glucose metabolism to target
the brain-eating amoeba”
Christopher Rice – Perdue
“New CNS permeable hits against Naegleria Fowleri and the use
of bioreactors and controlled plumbing to model optimal
naegleria growth and disinfection”
Dr. Chuck Gerba- University of Arizona
“Naegleria fowleri who are you? And where are you?”
Andrei Badilla Aguilar- Notre Dame
“What do we know about naegleria fowleri in hot springs?:
The Case of Costa Rica”
Ashley Moseman – Duke University
“Harnessing Naegleria Specific Antibodies”
Joe Brown- UNC
“Advancing environmental monitoring in recreational waters”
NC Water Institute
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
In April 2024, Amazing Avens Quest for Amoeba Awareness committed $330,000 to the NC Water Institute and the UNC Billings School of Global Public Health!
As part of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, The Water Institute at UNC seeks to create a more water-secure world through research, policy and practice to provide the evidence, tools and leaders to change the way the world innovates for water solutions.
Researchers at the water institute will soon begin phase 1 of this incredible project. Phase 1 involves developing a rapid and scalable screening method to identify sites and conditions where Naeglaria risk is elevated, which can enable targeted messaging about risks. This phase will include all internal as well as initial field work to show that the process can be done effectively in the field and produce quantitative, same-day data on naegleria in surface waters.
In phase 2 and 3 The project will aim to map naegleria in recreational waters which is necessary to understanding the risks to to enable us to target preventive, corrective, and educational interventions to reduce exposures and improve public health.
We are beyond excited to have created this partnership. Our first installment of $90,000 to cover the cost of phase 1 has Been given to the the Water institute!
We were honored to have Joe Brown, PhD who will be overseeing the project attend our fundraising events over the weekend.
It is very special to have this project taking place at a university in our local community and the hospital in which Aven was treated Sharing in our vision of fighting this deadly amoeba on all fronts.
Dennis Kyle
“Discovery of Host Genetic Factors Associated with Susceptibility to infections with Brain eating amoeba”
In April 2024, Amazing Avens Quest for Amoeba Awareness committed $93,500 in a research grant to Dennis Kyle and the University of Georgia.
Dr. Dennis Kyle will use funds provided from our foundation to test the hypothesis that host genetic factors contribute significantly to susceptibility to N. fowleri. It is our hope that identifying these host factors will enable the development of strategies to prevent future infections with brain- eating amoebae or to develop life-saving therapies in the future.
Dr. Dennis kyle is the head of the Cellular Biology Department at the University of Georgia. We are so excited about this very important work and can’t wait to share updates in the future.
Research in the Velle Lab at Mass Dartmouth
“Defining the basic biology underlying disease-causing traits in Naegleri”
In January 2024 Amazing Avens Quest for Amobea Awareness committed $105,270 in a research grant! The Velle Lab seeks to define the basic biology underlying how Naegleria cells crawl, eat and divide. Throughout the next year they will use this funding to study how these cells crawl. It is our hope that this work will lead to more successful treatments for PAM infections in the future.
“Avens Assay”
In August of 2022 Amazing Avens Quest for Amobea Awareness committed $66,142 to Ashley and Annie Moseman at Duke University. The grant will provide money to go towards research needed to develop an antigen-based diagnostic tool for PAM. The goal is to provide a rapid test that can provide results quickly leading to the early diagnosis of Naegleria Fowleri.
Christopher Rice
We were honored that Christopher Rice Recently flew in to spend the weekend with us during our Golf Tournament Fundraiser. Chris is currently at Perdue University and studies free living amoeba. He focuses on drug discovery and drug development.