Narendra Kumar

Education and Training

• Indian Institute of Technology, India, PhD, Microbial Biotechnology, 2001
• Goa University, India, Master of Science in Marine Biotechnology, 1996

Research Interests

• Chronic mucosal inflammation leads to different complications such as Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s disease and epithelial cancer. The research focus is to find therapeutic targets through dissecting the molecular determinants that regulate mucosal inflammation through three major approaches
• In-vitro analysis of the structure and functions of the molecular determinants
• In-vitro confirmation of the proof of the principle in a human cell culture model
• In-vivo amelioration of mucosal inflammation through viral mediated gene delivery

Teaching Interests

• Microbiology/Immunology
• Biotechnology
• Biochemistry
• Principles of Drug Action

Awards, Recognition and Service

• Artificial Intelligence Molecular Simulation (AIMS) Award. 2019
• Distinguished Faculty Award, the Coastal Bend Society of Health System Pharmacists June 2, 2018.
• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Research Leadership Fellow (Catalyst) 2017-18.
• CCFA Research Fellowship Award Awarding agency: Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). Award Period: July 2005 to December 2008.
• AGA-Research Scholar Award, Awarding agency: American Gastroenterology Association (AGA)’s Foundation for Digestive Disease. Award Period: July, 2009-June, 2012 (returned due to funding of KO1 as guidelines).
• “CCFA Career Development Award,” Awarding agency: Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). Award Period: January 2009 to December 2011.
• “NIH Basic Scientist Career Development Award (KO1),” Awarding agency: National Institute of Health (NIH) Award Period: September 2009 to May 2014.
• Certificates/other awards by academic institutions: “Certificate of Appreciation,” for securing the most Federal research funds in the department. Awarding agency: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ILR College of Pharmacy, Texas A&M Health Science Center, 2009.
• “Certificate of Felicitation” for invited presentation at “World Congress on Gastroenterology and Urology.” Awarding agency: Omics Publishing Group, Calif. March 2012.
• “Faculty Mentor Award” for Upward Bound Math & Science program. Awarding agency: Texas A&M Kingsville, July 12, 2012.
• “Certificate of Recognition” for McNair Scholar program. Awarding agency: Texas A&M Kingsville, Oct. 18, 2012.
• “CCFA Travel Award,” Awarding agency: Crohn’s and Colitis foundation of America, Purpose: to attend “Junior Faculty Symposium on Inflammatory Bowel Disease” held at the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. May 10-11, 2005.
• “CCF-CCFA Travel Award.” Awarding agency: Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) and Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), Purpose: to attend Inflammatory Bowel Disease Summit at MBNA Conference Center Cleveland, OH. Award period: Oct. 4-7, 2006.
• “AGA-BSG Stem Cell Scholarship”, Awarding agency: American Gastroenterology Association and British Society of Gastroenterology, Purpose: to present research at “Stem Cells in Gastrointestinal Development, Regeneration and Neoplasia Symposium” held at Tyson Corner, Va. Award period: Sept. 8-9, 2006.
• “AGA Institute Travel Award,” Awarding agency: American Gastroenterology Association (AGA), Purpose: to attend AGA Institute Academic Skills Workshop Miami, FL. Award Period: Feb. 9-10, 2007.
• “Doctoral Research Scholarship Award”, Awarding agency: the Department of Human Resource Development Government of India. Purpose: awarded through national scholarship tests, “Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering “GATE, for the entire period of graduate studies Award period: January 1997 to June 2001.
• “DST Foreign Travel Award,” Awarding agency: the Department of Science and Technology Govt. of India, purpose: to present research at the “9th European Congress on Biotechnology (ECB9)” Brussels, Belgium. Award period: July 11-15, 1999.
• “Department of Biotechnology National Scholarship Award” Awarding agency: the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India. Purpose: for Master of Science studies in Marine Biotechnology. Award period: July 1994 to June 1996.
• Certificate of recognition for securing 94.73 percentile at the national level in All India Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 1998.

Patents

• Kumar N, Das D. Production of pollution free gaseous fuel. IPA# 464/ Cal/2001 DT. 21.8.2001/India.
• Kumar N, Das D. Development of a high rate and yield hydrogen production process. IPA 665/Cal/2001 DT.04.12.2001/India.
• Kumar N, and Mishra J. A Novel High Throughput Assay for finding new Jak3 Interacting Compounds, Biomolecules, and Inhibitors. U.S. Provisional patent number 61/960652. (Currently under negotiation for licensing)