Principle Investigator

I obtained my master degree in Zoology from Lovely Professional University, Punjab, and completed my Ph.D. from Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu.  In 2015, I joined the lab of Dr. Vojo Deretic at University of New Mexico for my postdoctoral esearch,  and in 2019, I joined as a Research Assistant Professor at Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico.  I joined as an Assistant Professor at BSBE in October 2021.

Education and Training

2007               Bachelor of Science, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla,  India

2009                   Master of Science (Zoology), Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India

2017               PhD, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicines, Jammu, India

2015-2019              Postdoctoral Training, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

Appointments

2019-2021               Research Assistant Professor, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

2021-present Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of  Technology, Kanpur

Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=oW16WtYAAAAJ&hl=en

Major Publications: 

Kumar S, Javed R, Claude-Taupin A, Mudd M, Pallikkuth S, Lidke KA, Jain A,  Rusten T-E,  Anonsen J, Lystad AH, Simonsen A, Guo L-W, Eskelinen E-L, Timmins G, and Deretic V. Mammalian hybrid pre-autophagosomal structure HyPAS generates autophagosomes. Cell Nov 24;184(24):5950-5969.

Kumar S, Jain A, Choi SW, da Silva GPD, Allers L, Mudd MH, Peters RS, Anonsen JH, Rusten TE, Lazarou M, Deretic V. Mammalian Atg8 proteins and the autophagy factor IRGM control mTOR and TFEB at a regulatory node critical for responses to pathogens. Nat Cell Biol.2020 22:973-985.

Kumar S, Gu Y, Abudu YP, Bruun JA, Jain A, Farzam F, Mudd M, Anonsen JH, Rusten TE, Kasof G, Ktistakis N, Lidke KA, Johansen T, Deretic V. Phosphorylation of Syntaxin 17 by TBK1 Controls Autophagy Initiation. Dev Cell. 2019 Apr 8;49(1):130-144.e6. 

Kumar S, Jain A, Farzam F, Jia J, Gu Y, Choi SW, Mudd MH, Claude-Taupin A, Wester MJ, Lidke KA, Rusten TE, Deretic V. Mechanism of Stx17 recruitment to autophagosomes via IRGM and mammalian Atg8 proteins. J Cell Biol. 2018 Mar 5;217(3):997-1013.