Purdue scientists use malaria expertise to track COVID-19 variants, inform policymakers on virus spread Note to journalists: For a copy of the paper, please contact Brittany Steff, Purdue News Service, at bsteff@purdue.edu or 765-494-7833. Photos are available via Google Drive. Journalists visiting campus should follow visitor health guidelines. Giovanna Carpi, assistant professor of biological sciences at Purdue University. (Purdue University photo/Rebecca McElhoe) WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Scientists have been using genetics to track diseases for decades. Now, a team at Purdue University that typically tracks malaria spread in Southern and Central Africa is using its expertise to track COVID-19 in Indiana.