About

Dr. Parr studies the molecular epidemiology of infectious diseases. He is broadly interested in applying cutting-edge molecular and genomic tools to solve problems faced by marginalized populations across the globe. His work has focused on malaria in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, and other sites, but he also conducts translational studies of viral hepatitis and syphilis. Dr. Parr is a founding member of the Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Ecology Lab at UNC (IDEEL, www.ideelresearch.org)  and an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation. He has collaborated with the World Health Organization on efforts to improve malaria diagnosis and treatment and served as an Associate Editor for Healthcare: The Journal of Delivery Science and Innovation. During the pandemic, he served as co-director of UNC infectious diseases’ inpatient COVID-19 services. Dr. Parr and his work have been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, and other media outlets.

In the news

• 

  From Toronto to Tigray: IDEEL Investigators Advance Global Conversation on Malaria Control Amid Rising Challenges

  The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene’s (ASTMH) Annual Meeting, Nov. 9-13 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, drew approximately 4,900 global health professionals from around the world. Investigators from the IDEEL Lab contributed new insights to the global conversation, drawing attention to a defining crossroads in East Africa’s malaria response. Multiple IDEEL studies documented the … Read more

• 

  UNC-Led Team Receives $4M Award to Launch Novel Mosquito Surveillance Platform to Protect Military Personnel from Infectious Disease Threats

  CHAPEL HILL, NC — (November 24, 2025) A multi-disciplinary team of researchers led by Jonathan Parr, MD, MPH, at UNC Chapel Hill’s Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, with partners at North Carolina State University, Emory University, Accelint’s SoarTech, and a network of international collaborators has received  $2.2 million of a planned $4 million … Read more

• 

  ID Researchers Contribute to ID Week Conference

  This year’s ID Week will take place October 19-22, 2025, in Atlanta, GA. ID Week is the joint annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the HIV Medicine Association, the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists. Following is a list of … Read more

• 

  Infectious Diseases Society of America Honors Bramson and Parr

  Brian Bramson, MD, and Jonathan Parr, MD, MPH, have been named Fellows by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Fellowship in IDSA is one of the highest honors in the field of infectious diseases, recognizing distinguished clinicians and scientists in the U.S. and around the world. Dr. Bramson cares for people living with HIV, as … Read more

Education