Krishna Kumar
Robinson Professor of Chemistry
Tufts University
Talk Information
Peptides in Oncology
19 June 2025, 09:50am - 10:20am, in the Pacific Jewel Ballroom
L39 – Two Bites at the Apple: Design and Repair of Peptide Therapeutics
Award Recipient
2025 Makineni Lectureship
The Rao Makineni Lectureship was established in 2003 by an endowment by PolyPeptide Laboratories and Murray and Zelda Goodman. The Lectureship honors Rao Makineni, a long-time supporter of peptide science, peptide scientists, and the American Peptide Society. The Makineni Lectureship recognizes an individual who has made a recent contribution of unusual merit to research in the field of peptide science. The award is intended to recognize original and singular discoveries rather than cumulative or lifetime contributions. The award is presented at the biennial American Peptide Symposia.
Professor Krishna Kumar holds the Robinson Professorship in Chemistry at Tufts University, where he also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Engineering and is a member of the Cancer Center at Tufts Medical Center. His interdisciplinary research bridges chemistry, biology, and medicine, focusing on the design of novel molecules to understand and manipulate biological processes.
Academic Background
Dr. Kumar earned his B.Sc. in Chemistry with honors from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Brown University in 1996, under the mentorship of Professor Matthew B. Zimmt. He conducted postdoctoral research at The Scripps Research Institute with Professor M. Reza Ghadiri before joining the faculty at Tufts University in 1998. He served as Chair of the Chemistry Department from 2006 to 2009 and again from 2012 to 2018.
Research Focus
Professor Kumar's research group operates at the interface of chemistry, biology, and medicine. Their work includes designing molecules to probe fundamental biological mechanisms and developing therapeutics. Key areas of interest encompass the origin of life, therapeutic molecule design for conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, cancer, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, NASH, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, smoking cessation, and the development of novel antibiotics. The group also investigates the penetration of peptide molecules through biological barriers like the gut and the blood-brain barrier.
Notable Contributions
Dr. Kumar has pioneered the incorporation of fluorinated amino acids into proteins, enhancing their stability and therapeutic potential. His work has led to the development of fluorinated drug delivery systems and imaging agents, as well as methods for cell surface engineering and imaging of cancer cells with metastatic potential.
Awards and Honors
Professor Kumar's contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades, including:
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, 2018
- Graduate Teaching and Mentoring Award, Tufts Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, 2015
- Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, AAAS, 2012
- Award for Excellence in the Chemical Sciences, Indian Society of Chemists and Biologists, 2011
- Global Indus Technovator Award, MIT IBC, 2006
- MIT Technology Review TR100 Award, 2003
- DuPont Young Professor Award, 2003–2006
- NSF CAREER Award, 2002–2007
Additionally, Professor Kumar is this year's recipient of the American Peptide Society's Makineni Lectureship.
Professional Engagements
Beyond his research, Dr. Kumar is actively involved in mentoring students and contributing to the academic community through teaching and leadership roles. He has served as a Visiting Scientist at the Center for Cancer Research at MIT and has been recognized for his excellence in teaching and mentorship at Tufts University. He also serves as the secretary of the American Peptide Society.
Through his innovative research and dedication to education, Professor Krishna Kumar continues to make significant contributions to the fields of chemistry and biomedical science.