Dr Rintis Noviyanti: Connecting Science and Collaboration to Eliminate Malaria

With less than four years remaining until Indonesia’s 2030 malaria elimination target, the country has made significant progress. As of mid-2025, 79 per cent of regions across Indonesia had been declared malaria-free. However, Papua continues to present a major challenge, accounting for around 90 per cent of Indonesia’s malaria cases.[1]

For more than three decades, Dr Rintis Noviyanti has worked to understand malaria at its most fundamental level and translate scientific knowledge into solutions that can support elimination efforts. As a Senior Researcher at the Eijkman Research Centrefor Molecular Biology under the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), she leads research combining genomics and immunology, with fieldwork spanning malaria-endemic areas including Papua, East Nusa Tenggara, Kalimantan and Sumatra.

Her journey began in 1993, when she joined the first cohort of researchers at the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, which had been re-established by the then Minister of State for Research and Technology, B.J. Habibie.

From Molecular Biology to Immunology

Early in her career as a Research Assistant at the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Rintis was mentored by the Institute’s Director, Professor Sangkot Marzuki, who encouraged her to study the DNA of malaria-causing parasites.

Professor Sangkot also introduced Rintis to the Australian research community, opening a pathway that would shape her scientific career. In 1996, she travelled to Australia to undertake her PhD at The University of Melbourne through the Australian Development Scholarships program.

During her PhD, she conducted research at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), one of Australia’s oldest and leading medical research institutions.

‘Professor Sangkot was the one who first introduced me to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. During my time there, I felt I was in an ideal environment that strongly supported me in deepening my malaria research,’ Rintis said.

Her experience in Australia broadened her scientific perspective, leading her from molecular biology towards immunology and a deeper understanding of the complex interactions between malaria parasites and their human hosts.

‘Learning how the genetics of malaria parasites and humans interact made me even more interested in pursuing this field,’ she added.

When Rintis returned to Indonesia, she became Head of the Malaria Pathogenesis Unit at the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, a position she held until 2021, when the institute was integrated into BRIN.

Rather than limiting her research to a single discipline, she continued to build expertise across molecular biology, genomics and immunology. Her approach reflects her belief that understanding the biology of malaria is essential to developing more effective vaccines, diagnostics and treatments.

‘To initiate vaccine research, we must first understand the biological nature of malaria parasites. That is why, after returning to Eijkman, I continued to focus on molecular biology before moving into immunology,’ she explained.

In 2011, Rintis became involved in research supporting malaria vaccine development under the coordination of the Ministry of Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia. She also contributed to the development of the National Action Plan for the Acceleration of Malaria Elimination 2020 - 2026 with the Directorate General of Disease Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health.

Turning Scientific Knowledge into Collaboration

For Rintis, one of the most valuable outcomes of studying in Australia was not only the scientific expertise she gained, but also the ability to work across institutions, disciplines and cultures.

‘Engaging with researchers at a global level, including learning how to present myself and my capabilities to attract collaboration opportunities, were all soft skills I developed during my time at WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research). It is a hub not only for Australian researchers, but also for researchers from around the world,’ Rintis explained.

Rintis emphasised that strong professional networks are essential to achieving meaningful research outcomes. Her experience in Australia helped her build an extensive international network, which she has since used to connect Indonesian research with international scientific expertise.

In 2012, she participated in research through the Vivax Working Group (VxWG), supported by a grant from the Asia-Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN), alongside scientists from Menzies School of Health Research. The collaboration established the first malaria parasite genotyping platforms in Indonesia, laying the foundation for subsequent advances in understanding the genomic characteristics of Indonesian malaria parasites.

Rintis also became part of the global research community through the Malaria Genomic Epidemiology Network, contributing to efforts to develop a more detailed understanding of malaria parasite population genomics worldwide.

In 2018, she participated in the FIT2/BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH)/World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) research fellowship program with the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Through the program, she deepened her expertise in immunology and explored how malaria can be addressed from the perspective of the human immune response.

‘The two main areas of research I currently focus on are genomics and immunology, which form the scientific foundation for malaria vaccine development,’ Rintis explained.

Her collaborations have continued to expand. In 2025, Rintis worked with the Burnet Institute in Melbourne and Ehime University in Japan through the e-ASIA Joint Research Program to develop an mRNA vaccine targeting malaria caused by the Plasmodium vivax parasite.

‘In the vaccine development research with the Burnet Institute, our team at BRIN focuses on studying the genetics of the Plasmodium vivax parasite,’ she said.

Bringing Research Closer to Malaria Elimination

For Rintis, scientific research is ultimately about addressing real-world challenges faced by communities.

‘A wide range of approaches is still needed to eliminate malaria, including developing potent treatments, vaccines, fast and accurate diagnostic techniques and controlling malaria-carrying mosquitoes,’ she explained.

One example is her work on sero-diagnostic testing for Plasmodium vivax. In 2018, working in collaboration with WEHI, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit Indonesia, and the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the team received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The research examined antibodies in individuals at high risk of Plasmodium vivax infection, as the parasite can remain dormant in the liver and spleen, making infections difficult to detect and allowing transmission to persist.

Looking ahead, Rintis is focusing on reducing malaria cases in Papua caused by Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum, the two dominant malaria parasite species in the region. She believes Papua will be critical to determining whether Indonesia can achieve its national malaria elimination target by 2030.

From Research to Lasting Impact

Rintis’s journey demonstrates how knowledge gained through international education can be brought back, adapted and applied to complex challenges in Indonesia. It also shows the value of connecting scientific disciplines, institutions and communities in pursuit of a shared development goal.

Her work requires more than scientific expertise. It involves asking new questions, examining evidence from different perspectives, working with researchers from different backgrounds and adapting approaches as new findings emerge. Through these collaborations, she has continued to connect research with the needs of communities and national health priorities.

‘Unravelling the host and parasite aspects of malaria parasites through the knowledge in genomics and immunology will ultimately shape the optimum strategy for malaria elimination,’ she concluded.

For Rintis, the path towards malaria elimination is not defined by a single discovery. It is a continuing process of asking questions, building partnerships, adapting to new evidence and applying research where it can make the greatest difference.