Profile:
Dr. Prashant Kumar received his Ph.D. in 2009 from the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Department of Molecular Biology, Berlin, Germany. Following this, Dr. Kumar did his postdoctoral work at the Department of Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts (UMASS) Medical School, Worcester, USA, where he established a novel mouse model of malignant breast cancers. In June 2012, he joined Prof. Jean-Paul Thiery, a world-renowned authority in the area of EMT (Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition) at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), A-STAR Singapore.
At A-STAR, Dr. Kumar discovered a panel of urinary biomarkers for the early diagnosis of bladder cancer. This biomarker panel was licensed. His work was successfully translated from bench to bed and a spin-off diagnostic company BioCheetah Pte Ltd, Singapore has been set up to develop and commercialize non-invasive, protein-based diagnostic applications.
He was also involved in the establishment of a culture method to assess circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from breast cancers. This new technique provides an opportunity to analyze CTC clonal heterogeneity and adapt therapeutic modalities in refractory breast and lung cancer patients. In 2015, Dr. Kumar moved to India after securing a highly competitive and prestigious Ramanujan Fellowship awarded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. Dr. Kumar has been awarded the highly prestigious National Award for Excellence in Academic Clinical Research 2021 from the Indian Society for Clinical Research (ISCR) as a recognition for excellence in Academic Clinical Research. He serves on the Editorial Board of Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, Annals of Research in Oncology and Cancer Molecular Targets and Therapeutics, Frontiers in Oncology and Frontiers in Pharmacology; and, on the scientific advisory committee of various Industry and private organizations. He is currently a research Director at Karkinos Foundation. His group is employing a multi-omics integrative approach to unravel biological pathways for personalized cancer therapy.
Talk title:
MULTIOMICS APPROACH TO STUDY THE AETIOLOGY OF HIGHLY PREVALENT CANCERS IN INDIA