About
My research employs methods in functional genomics and proteomics to investigate important questions in eukaryotic cell / molecular biology. I use the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism to study conserved pathways mediating cell cycle progression and cell polarity establishment. These pathways represent an effective eukaryotic model of signaling networks germane to cancer research, encompassing yeast orthologs of known oncogenes and tumor suppressors. Currently, my research entails a "system-wide" approach to the study of a multi-pathway process wherein strains of budding yeast form invasive filaments called pseudohyphae. As highly similar processes of filament formation are essential to the virulence of many pathogenic fungi, this study holds translational/clinical (as well as basic science) relevance. Our research also encompasses the study of signaling networks in the opportunistic human fungal pathogen Candida albicans.
Dr. Kumar received his PhD in the biomedical sciences from Wright State University before pursuing postdoctoral training in Michael Snyder's lab at Yale University. While at Yale, Dr. Kumar was a postdoctoral fellow of the American Cancer Society and a Leslie Warner Fellow in cancer research. Since joining the University of Michigan, Dr. Kumar has been named as a Biological Scholar, a March of Dimes Basil O'Connor Scholar, and Research Scholar of the American Cancer Society. Dr. Kumar is also currently a member of the Faculty of 1000 (Genomics section).
Field(s) of Study
- Molecular and Cell Biology, Functional Genomics
Areas of Focus
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Microbiology
